WESTFIELD 
MASSACHUSETTS 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


WESTFIELD  QUARTER-MILLENNIUM 


The  History  of  the  Celebration 

of  the 

Two  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Anniversary 

of  the  Incorporation  of  the 

Town  of  Westfield 

Massachusetts 


August  31,  September  1,  2,  3,  1919 

and 

Appendix 

with  Reminiscences  of  the  Last  Half-Century 


PRINTED  BY 

THE   RUMFORD  PRESS 

CONCORD,   N.  H. 


^ 

CONTENTS 


PAGE 

PRESENTATION  OF  VOLUME  —  Frank  Grant     .....  xi 

FOREWORD  —  Patty  Lee  Waterman  Clark     .....  xiii 

PRELIMINARY  ACTION  BY  BOARD  OF  TRADE  .....  i 

VOTES  PASSED  BY  TOWN  PERTAINING  TO  CELEBRATION  .     .  4 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE  AND  ADVISORY  BOARD  ....  9 

FINANCE  COMMITTEE     ...........  10 

PUBLICITY  COMMITTEE  ...........  10 

COMMITTEE  FOR  PUBLICATION  OF  HISTORY  OF  TOWN    .     .  10 

EDUCATIONAL  COMMITTEE  ..........  10 

INVITATION  COMMITTEE      ..........  n 

HOUSING  AND  INFORMATION  COMMITTEE  ......  14 

TRANSPORTATION  COMMITTEE  .........  15 

SOUVENIR  PROGRAM  COMMITTEE   ........  15 

Music  COMMITTEE  ......     ......  15 

COMMITTEE  FOR  MARKING  HISTORIC  SITES    .....  15 

INDUSTRIAL  EXHIBIT  COMMITTEE  ........  15 

DECORATION  COMMITTEE    ..........  17 

HOSTESS  HOUSE  AND  LOAN  EXHIBIT  COMMITTEE     ...  18 
REPORT  OF  HOSTESS  HOUSE  AND  LOAN  EXHIBIT  —  Mrs. 

Chadwick  ..............  20 

HISTORICAL  ADDRESSES  COMMITTEE    .......  36 

INVOCATION  —  Rev.  William  S.  Ayres  .......  42 

ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME  —  Edwin  W.  Smith  .....  43 

ADDRESS  —  Hon.  Frederick  H.  Gillett  .......  45 

"SPIRIT  OF  OLD  WESTFIELD"  —  Rev.  Lucius  H.  Thayer      .  51 

"  WESTFIELD  OF  THE  FUTURE  "  —  Judge  Michael  H.  Sullivan  82 

ACCOUNT  OF  MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  IST    ......  91 

PAGEANT  COMMITTEES  ...........  94 

EPISODES 

I.     Father  Time  and  the  Dawn  of  Creation  —  The 

Coming  of  the  Indians     .......  98 

II.     1  636-1  669  —  The  Pioneers  Conquering  the  Wilder- 

ness .............  102 

III.  1676     .............  103 

IV.  The  Dame  School  —  1725      .......  106 

V.     1776  —  Revolutionary  Days        ......  107 

VI.     1783  —  Return  of  General  Shepard       .      .      .      .  in 

VII.     1860—  Civil  War  Ballet  ........  112 

vii 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

PAGE 

VIII.     1919 — Depicting  Growth  and  Beauty  of  Westfield  114 

IX.     Pageant  Parade 116 

COMMUNITY  DAY  COMMITTEES 117 

PLANS  FOR  COMMUNITY  DAY 118 

MILITARY  PARADE  COMMITTEE 123 

LINE  OF  MARCH 124 

ORDER  OF  MILITARY  PARADE .  125 

GENERAL  SHEPARD  MONUMENT  COMMITTEES     ....  127 

UNVEILING  CEREMONIES 132 

INVOCATION — Rev.  John  H.  Lockwood 135 

ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME — Henry  W.  Ely 136 

PRESENTATION  OF  MONUMENT — Arthur  S.  Kneil     .     .     .  140 

ACCEPTANCE  OF  MONUMENT — Louis  L.  Keefe     .     .     .     .  143 
ADDRESSES 

John  C.  Robinson 147 

Governor  Calvin  Coolidge 155 

Former  Governor  Samuel  W.  McCall 161 

Major-General  Clarence  R.  Edwards 177 

WELCOME  HOME  TO  SERVICE  MEN 184 

DANCING  ON  THE  GREEN 185 

AN  APPRECIATION  OF  THE  CELEBRATION — Mrs.  William  A. 

Root 188 

APPENDIX 

LETTER  OF  Miss  CLARA  M.  REED 191 

POEM— "The  Rose  Jar"— Philip  Richards  Dunbar       .      .  192 

PEN  SKETCH  OF  WESTFIELD  IN  1919 — George  W.  Searle     .  194 

BANK  STATEMENTS  FOR  1869  AND  1919.     ...     .     .     .  199 

REMINISCENCES  OF  TOWN  MEETINGS  IN  THE  '8os  AND  '903 — 

Rev.  John  H.  Lockwood 205 

TOPOGRAPHICAL  REMINISCENCES — Frank  Grant ....  209 

REMINISCENCES — Frances  Fowler 217 

THE  HIGH  SCHOOL  IN  1862 — Samuel  J.  Fowler  .      .     .     .225 

WESTFIELD  IN  THE  LATE  '705 — Bertha  Mansfield  Freeman  227 

MY  TEACHERS — Katharine  Gibbs  Allen 230 

REMINISCENCES — Addison  L.  Green 233 

POEM — "The  Doorway" — Frances  Fowler 239 

viii 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING  PAGE 

FRONTISPIECE — "The  Green" .Title 

HONORARY  COMMITTEE  AND  BOARD  OF  SELECTMEN    .     .  4 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 8 

CHAIRMEN  OF  COMMITTEES  ON  PREPARATION  ....  10 
REPRODUCTION  OF  "SUMMONS"  AND  INVITATION  .     .     .12,13 

CHAIRMEN  OF  COMMITTEES  ON  ENTERTAINMENT    ...  14 

ELM  STREET  DECORATED  FOR  THE  CELEBRATION  ...  17 

MAIN  STREET  DECORATED  FOR  THE  CELEBRATION     .     .  19 

THE  RECEPTION  ROOM — The  Hostess  House     ....  23 

THE  CABIN  INTERIOR — The  Hostess  House 27 

OFFICIAL  PROGRAM  OF  THE  CELEBRATION 32 

SPEAKERS  AT  THE  HISTORICAL  MEETING 39 

PROGRAM  OF  THE  HISTORICAL  MEETING 39 

WOLF-PIT  MEADOWS 94 

PART  OF  THE  AUDIENCE  AT  THE  PAGEANT 94 

FATHER  TIME  AND  THE  CHORUS 98 

BALLET — "  Dawn  of  Creation  " 99 

INDIAN  ENCAMPMENT 100 

WILLIAM  PYNCHON'S  ARRIVAL 102 

SPIRIT  OF  THE  WILDERNESS  AND  POWERS  OF  THE  RIVER     .  104 

POWERS  OF  THE  FOREST  AND  RIVER 104 

THE  MIST  MAIDENS 104 

PIONEER  MAN  AND  WOMAN  OVERCOMING  THE  POWERS  OF 

FOREST  AND  RIVER 105 

THE  DAME  SCHOOL 106 

DEPARTURE  OF  THE  MINUTE  MEN 108 

SPIRIT  OF  1776 108 

BALLET  1776 109 

GENERAL  AND  MRS.  SHEPARD;  CAPTAIN  PARKS  AND  LIEU- 
TENANT SHEPARD in 

FOUR  OF  THE  "TOWNSPEOPLE" in 

CIVIL  WAR  BALLET 

"Blues,"  "Grays"  and  "Black  Clouds  of  War".         .  112 

Dancers  representing  "  Love  and  Devotion "     .      .      .  112 

Dancers  representing  "Joy" 112 

The  End  of  the  Conflict 113 

ix 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

BALLET  WESTFIELD  FACING  PAGE 

The  Little  Farmers 114 

Manufactures  and  Mining 115 

THE  ARTS 116 

THE  STATES  ACCOMPANYING  COLUMBIA 117 

MILITARY  PARADE 

Marshal  and  Aids 122 

First  Platoon 123 

Navy  Men's  Section 124 

Third  Company 124 

Red  Cross 124 

Second  Section  of  Red  Cross 125 

GENERAL  SHEPARD  MONUMENT 127 

SPEAKERS  AT  DEDICATION  EXERCISES 132 

STATUE  OF  MAJOR-GENERAL  WILLIAM  SHEPARD     .     .     .  133 

PROGRAM  OF  DEDICATION  EXERCISES 134 

THE  MINUET  (Two  Illustrations) 184 

(One  Illustration') 187 

THE  DOORWAY  OF  THE  FOWLER  TAVERN 239 


PRESENTATION   OF  VOLUME 

William  B.  Reed,  Chairman, 

and  Fellow  Members  of  the  Executive  Committee: 

In  pursuance  of  your  commission  to  prepare  and  publish 
a  report  of  the  proceedings  of  Westfield's  Quarter-Millen- 
nial Celebration  in  September,  1919,  I  have  the  honor  to 
submit  the  following: 

Immediately  after  the  celebration  I  made  as  complete  a 
collection  as  possible  of  all  available  material. 

I  then  solicited  the  aid  of  Miss  Clara  M.  Reed  to  edit  the 
report.  She  most  kindly  consented  to  undertake  the  task 
and  promptly  entered  upon  it  with  characteristic  diligence 
and  zeal.  Wrought  upon  by  her  trained  mind  and  loyal 
heart,  the  work  soon  made  progress  that  promised  early 
consummation. 

The  sudden  termination  of  her  earthly  life — a  life  of 
large  achievement  under  physical  stress  that  would  have 
daunted  a  soul  less  highly  endowed,  or  less  imbued  with 
the  best  ideals  of  old  New  England — necessitated  the 
enlistment  of  another  mind  and  heart  for  completion  of  the 
enterprise. 

We  were  exceedingly  fortunate  in  securing  Mrs.  Patty 
Lee  Waterman  Clark,  another  loyal  daughter  of  Westfield, 
who  had,  as  you  know,  already  rendered  invaluable  service 
in  producing  the  brilliantly  successful  historical  pageant. 
I  am  sure  you  will  all  most  heartily  appreciate  the  pains- 
taking thoroughness  with  which  she  has  carried  the  work  to 
fulfillment. 

Together  they  have  given  us  a  record  that  I  trust  will 
not  only  interest  our  citizens  and  former  residents,  and 
especially  those  who  participated  in  the  celebration,  but 

xi 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

also  prove  a  source  of  pride  and  inspiration  to  the  West- 
field  yet  to  be. 

Respectfully  submitted, 


WESTFIELD,  MASSACHUSETTS, 
December  I,  1920 


Xll 


FOREWORD 

This  volume,  modeled  after  that  published  fifty  years 
ago, — "The  Westfield  Bi-Centennial," — will,  it  is  hoped, 
prove  one  of  a  series  to  which  each  successive  half-century 
shall  add  its  characteristic  contribution. 

Therefore  it  has  been  our  endeavor  to  provide  a  book 
which  in  workmanship  and  in  contents  shall  be  indicative 
of  its  period.  There  are  many  pictures  which  would  have 
aided  the  endeavor;  yet  if  any  are  disappointed  at  their 
absence  they  should  remember  that  this  is  primarily  a 
history  of  the  quarter-millennial  celebration,  and  as  such 
quite  properly  gives  preference  to  pictures  connected  with 
that  event.  At  the  same  time  we  have  tried  to  keep  a  nice 
balance  between  the  present  and  the  past  by  means  of  the 
various  speeches  reproduced  in  full  together  with  pageant 
and  hostess  house  pictures. 

As  originally  sketched  there  was  between  the  far-away 
time  and  the  foreground  of  the  present,  a  space  correspond- 
ing to  the  last  half-century,  which  required  additions  in 
order  that  the  picture  might  be  complete.  Miss  Clara 
Reed,  inspired  by  the  success  of  the  impromptu  gathering 
held  on  the  third  day  of  the  celebration, — Tuesday,  Sep- 
tember 2, — later  published  a  letter  asking  for  reminiscences 
of  the  fifty  years  just  past.  The  responses  are  printed  in 
the  Appendix.  These,  we  trust,  will  not  only  waken  to 
happy  consciousness  many  dormant  memories,  but  will 
also  arouse  respect  if  not  love  for  the  Westfield  there  por- 
trayed, in  those  who  can  never  know  the  town  which  is 
fast  passing  away. 

Just  as  back  of  the  celebration  and  assuring  its  success 
was  the  splendid  co-operation  of  our  townspeople  old  and 
young,  so  within  this  history  of  the  celebration  may  be 

xiii 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

found  such  a  working  together  of  town  events  past  and 
present  as  should  make  for  the  success  of  the  volume. 
Yet  to  us,  who  because  of  our  fond  memories  and  love  of 
the  old  town,  have  labored  in  the  preparation  of  this  book, 
its  success  means  not  merely  that  it  shall  interest,  but  that 
it  shall  inspire  in  the  Westfield  of  the  future  pride  in 
the  town's  past  and  a  desire  to  emulate  the  Spirit  of  old 
Westfield. 


HARTFORD,  CONNECTICUT, 
December  I,  1920. 


XIV 


THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  CELEBRATION 
OF  THE  TWO  HUNDRED  AND  FIF- 
TIETH ANNIVERSARY  OF  THE  IN- 
CORPORATION OF  THE  TOWN  OF 
WESTFIELD,  MASSACHUSETTS 


PRELIMINARY  ACTION  OF  BOARD  OF  TRADE 

The  matter  of  the  celebration  of  the  two  hundred  and 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  Westfield's  municipal  life,  was  first 
taken  up  by  the  Westfield  Board  of  Trade.  At  a  meeting 
of  the  directors  held  September  12,  1917,  a  committee  was 
appointed,  consisting  of  Frank  Grant,  Herbert  N.  Kings- 
bury  and  George  D.  Roe,  to  suggest  ideas  or  plans  at  a 
meeting  of  the  entire  membership  to  be  held  October  10, 
following. 

At  the  meeting  of  October  10,  held  at  the  Bismarck 
Hotel,  a  goodly  number  were  present  and  Frank  Grant  as 
chairman  of  the  special  committee  of  three,  reported  for 
the  committee  in  substance  as  follows : 

The  town  of  Westfield  will  doubtless  in  due  time  take 
formal  action  in  regard  to  celebrating  the  two  hundred  and 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  its  organization.  It  being  impossi- 
ble now  to  say  to  what  individuals  such  duty  may  fall,  it 
has  seemed  to  your  committee  entirely  proper  for  this  body 
to  immediately  take  steps  in  the  way  of  preparedness  for 
the  event.  With  that  end  in  view  we  suggest  that  a  general 
committee  be  appointed  at  this  meeting  with  what  might 
be  termed  a  "roving"  commission,  whose  first  duty  would 
be  to  meet  with  our  present  town  officials  and  propose  the 
calling,  at  no  distant  date,  of  a  meeting  of  townspeople  to 
consider  the  matter. 


WESTFJELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

When  the  proper  time  arrives,  invitations  will  doubtless 
be  issued  to  every  known  former  resident  of  Westfield  and 
in  many  instances  to  descendants  of  the  older  families.  A 
good  amount  of  time  will  be  necessary  for  this  work. 
Anticipating  such  formal  invitations  by  perhaps  a  year,  it 
might  be  wise  to  send  to  all  such  possible  guests  a  less 
formal  notice  with  the  suggestion  of  planning  their  1919 
summer  trip  or  vacation  with  the  thought  of  being  present 
with  us  at  the  time  of  the  celebration.  We  might  perhaps 
invite  no  less  a  personage  than  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  for  we  hope  at  the  time  of  the  celebration  to  dedi- 
cate a  monument  to  the  memory  of  a  citizen  of  the  town  who 
in  his  day  had  a  national  reputation,  being  a  personal 
friend  and  host  of  the  first  President  of  the  United  States. 

Your  committee  would  suggest  that  committees  be 
appointed  for  such  matters  as: 

1.  Pageant. 

2.  Historical    addresses    on    different   days,    perhaps 

under  such  sub-heads  as : 
Civic  history, 
Religious  history, 
Commercial  history. 

3.  Banquet. 

4.  Shepard  Monument  dedication. 

5.  Marking  of  localities  or  sites  of  interest  and  pro- 

viding conductors  to  same. 

6.  Place  and  provision  for  meetings. 

7.  Ways  and  means. 

8.  Committee  to  garner  information  for  use  and  pres- 

entation. 

And  many  other  details  that  will  suggest  themselves, 
on  some  of  which  there  is  no  time  to  lose. 

The  report  of  the  committee  was  accepted  by  the  meeting 
and  it  was  moved  that  a  committee  be  appointed  to  take 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

up  the  work  in  general,  to  submit  plans  and  suggestions, 
and  to  do  anything  which  their  judgment  suggested  which 
would  forward  the  work  efficiently  and  make  the  celebra- 
tion a  complete  success.  The  motion  was  adopted  and  the 
following  were  named  as  members  of  the  committee,  and 
they  were  by  vote,  approved  by  the  meeting: 

FRANK  GRANT  WILLIAM  T.  SMITH 

EDWIN  W.  SMITH  GEORGE  W.  LOOMIS 

FREDERICK  F.  SHEPARD  S.  AUGUSTUS  ALLEN 

HERBERT  N.  KINGSBURY  JOSEPH  A.  KENYON 

JOHN  P.  FOGARTY  EDWARD  T.  FOWLER 

ROBERT  GOWDY  JOHN  J.  HEARN 

CHARLES  J.  LITTLE  EDGAR  L.  GILLETT 

CHESTER  H.  ABBE  GEORGE  D.  ROE 

WILLIAM  B.  REED 

The  eleven  months  which  passed  before  any  action  was 
publicly  taken  toward  calling  a  town  meeting  were  filled 
with  activities  and  anxieties  connected  with  the  Great  War. 
An  early  peace  seemed  unlikely,  and  thoughts  of  a  local 
celebration  were  not  in  harmony  with  the  prevailing  serious 
mood.  The  summer  of  1918  brought  hope  that  a  cessation 
of  hostilities  might  not  long  be  postponed,  and  in  conse- 
quence a  special  town  meeting  was  called  for  September  18,, 
1918. 

The  following  report  of  the  action  of  the  town  includes 
votes  on  two  other  matters — the  Welcome  Home  to  our 
Soldiers,  Sailors  and  Marines,  and  the  erection  of  a  Statue 
to  General  William  Shepard.  By  harmonious  arrangement 
with  the  two  committees  in  charge  of  these  events  they 
became  important  features  of  the  town's  celebration,  so 
that  action  in  regard  to  them  is  here  included. 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


VOTES    PASSED    PERTAINING    TO    THE    CELE- 
BRATION OF  THE  TOWN  OF  WESTFI  ELD'S 
TWO    HUNDRED    AND    FIFTIETH 
ANNIVERSARY 

Article  j.     Warrant  for  Special  Meeting  Held  September 

18,  1918 

Art.  3.  To  see  if  the  Town  will  vote  to  appoint  a  Com- 
mittee to  plan,  arrange  and  carry  out  a  program  and  take 
any  other  action  in  connection  with  the  25Oth  Anniversary 
of  the  Town  in  1919. 

Voted:  That  a  Committee  of  one  hundred  be  appointed, 
under  Article  3,  to  make  plans  for  the  proper  celebration 
of  the  Two  Hundred  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the  founding 
of  the  Town  of  Westfield,  this  Committee  to  consist  of  the 
four  living  members  of  the  Bi-Centennial  Committee,  Mr. 
L.  F.  Thayer,  Mr.  J.  C.  Greenough,  Mr.  E.  B.  Smith  and 
Mr.  L.  H.  Beals,  the  present  Board  of  Selectmen,  Moder- 
ator, Town  Clerk,  and  Chairman  of  the  following  Town 
Boards:  Board  of  Assessors,  Board  of  Health,  Board  of 
Water  Commissioners,  Municipal  Light  Commission  and 
School  Committee,  the  President  of  the  Board  of  Trade 
and  eighty-five  citizens  to  be  named  by  the  Moderator. 

In  accordance  with  the  above  vote  the  moderator 
appointed  the  following  committee: 

COMMITTEE  OF  100 — 250™  ANNIVERSARY 

Reappointed  from  the  Bi-Centennial  Committee  of  1869 

Lucius  F.  THAYER  EDWIN  B.  SMITH 

JAMES  C.  GREENOUGH  LUTHER  H.  BEALS 

Board  of  Selectmen 

MORRELL  H.  MOORE 
WILLIAM  K.  BUSCHMANN  Louis  L.  KEEFE 

4 


James  C.  Greenough  Lucius  F.  Thayer 

Edwin  B.  Smith  Luther  H.  Beals 

Honorary  Committee  (reappointed  from  1869) 

Louis  L.  Keefe  Morrell  H.  Moore  William  K.  Buschmann 

Board  of  Selectmen 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


CLARENCE  A.  BRODEUR,  Moderator 

GEORGE  W.  SEARLE,  Town  Clerk 

FRANK  A.  SNOW,  Chairman  Board  of  Assessors 

DR.  ARCHIBALD  J.  DOUGLAS,  Chairman  Board  of  Health 

HARRY  C.  LANE,  Chairman  Water  Commissioners 

CHESTER  H.  ABBE,  Chairman  Municipal  Light  Board 

ROBERT  CHAPIN  PARKER,  Chairman  School  Committee 

GEORGE  B.  CHURCH,  President  Board  of  Trade 


S.  AUGUSTUS  ALLEN 

MRS.  LEWIS  B.  ALLYN 

Miss  IDA  C.  ASHLEY 

DR.  JAMES  B.  ATWATER 

CHARLES  E.  AVERY 

MRS.  LILLIAN  C.  AVERY 

GAMALIEL  E.  AUSTIN 

JONAS  BLECH 

Miss  FRANCES  T.  BOISE 

HOMER  BUSH 

WILLIAM  J.  CHAPMAN 

EDWARD  G.  CLARK 

JAMES  H.  CLARK 

SANBORN  S.  CONNER 

THOMAS  J.  COOLEY 

FRANK  E.  COWLES 

Louis  M.  DEWEY 

EUGENE  DOHERTY 

STURGES  DORRANCE 

HENRY  W.  ELY 

JOSEPH  B.  ELY 

WILLIAM  H.  ENSIGN 

JOHN  P.  FOGARTY 

MRS.  ELIZABETH  BUSH  FOWLER 

EDWARD  T.  FOWLER 

EDGAR  L.  GILLETT 

Miss  LUCY  D.  GILLETT 

ROBERT  GOWDY 

FRANK  GRANT 

PERCY  N.  HALL 

JOHN  J.  HEARN 

EDWIN  B.  HEDGES 

CHARLES  A.  HICKSON 


MRS.  HENRIETTA  PHELPS  HOLLAND 

Miss  ELIZABETH  M.  HOOKER 

HAROLD  E.  HOWARD 

GEORGE  JACHYM 

JOHN  JAKOBOWSKI 

WILLIS  S.  KELLOGG 

JOSEPH  A.  KENYON 

JOHN  R.  KING 

HERBERT  N.  KINGSBURY 

JOHN  R.  KIRWIN 

HERBERT  W.  KITTREDGE 

ARTHUR  S.  KNEIL 

GEORGE  L.  LEWIS 

Miss  MAUD  A.  LEWIS 

MRS.  LILLIE  LAMBSON  LILLEY 

CHARLES  J.  LITTLE 

REV.  JOHN  H.  LOCKWOOD 

GEORGE  W.  LOOMIS 

MRS.  MARION  NOBLE  LOOMIS 

WILLIAM  F.  LYMAN 

WILLIAM  B.  MAHONEY 

PETER  MARICHAK 

GEORGE  W.  MINER 

RICHARD  J.  MORRISSEY 

HARRIS  B.  MOULTON 

DR.  A.  FOWLER  NOBLE 

HOWARD  G.  NOBLE 

LEWIS  C.  PARKER 

HARRY  B.  PUTNAM 

Miss  CLARA  M.  REED 

WILLIAM  B.  REED 

CHARLES  REHOR 

ARCHIE  D.  ROBINSON 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

GEORGE  D.  ROE  GEORGE  A.  UPSON 

LEIGH  SANFORD  GABRIEL  VAN  ROTH 

ANGELO  SANTUCCI  KONSTANTINAS  VASILIAUSKAS 

Miss  ADDIE  E.  SHEPARD  CHARLES  B.  WARREN 

FREDERICK  F.  SHEPARD  ARTHUR  F.  WAY 

EDWIN  J.  SMITH  MRS.  FLORENCE  FULLER  WHITNEY 

EDWIN  W.  SMITH  MRS.  MARIA  MOSELEY  WHITNEY 

WILLIAM  T.  SMITH  GEORGE  E.  WHIPPLE 

Louis  O.  TAYLOR  MRS.  ALICE  WALKLEY  WINSLOW 

JAMES  TIERNEY 

Art.  2.     Special  April  Meeting  Warrant  1919 

Voted:  That  the  Town  appropriate  the  sum  of  $500  for 
the  celebration  of  its  25Oth  Anniversary  in  1919. 

Art.  i.     Warrant  for  Special  Meeting  Held  July  18,  1919 

Voted:  That  the  Town  appropriate  the  sum  of  $10,000 
plus  all  receipts  for  the  celebration  of  the  25Oth  Anniversary 
of  its  incorporation ;  that  payments  from  this  appropriation 
be  made  as  designated  by  the  Executive  Committee  upon 
the  approval  of  the  Committee  Chairman  incurring  the 
expense  and  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  General 
Committee. 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

VOTES    PERTAINING    TO    WELCOME-HOME 
CELEBRATION,    1919 

COMMITTEE  APPOINTED  BY  THE  SELECTMEN  JANUARY  n, 

1919,  TO  WELCOME  THE  RETURNING  SOLDIERS, 

SAILORS  AND  MARINES 

REV.  CLEMENT  E.  HOLMES 

PERCY  N.  HALL  WILLIAM  C.  WHOLEAN 

JOSEPH  A.  KENYON  GEORGE  JACHYM 

DANIEL  F.  DOHERTY  EMIL.  MOTAK 

VOTE  UNDER  ARTICLE  31   OF  ANNUAL  TOWN  MEETING 
WARRANT  FOR  1919 

Voted:  That  the  Town  appropriate  the  sum  of  $1,000 
to  celebrate  the  return  of  soldiers  and  sailors  now,  or  late  in 
the  service  of  the  United  States. 

VOTE  UNDER  ARTICLE  i  OF  WARRANT  FOR  SPECIAL  TOWN 
MEETING  HELD  AUGUST  19,  1919 

Voted:  That  the  Town  appropriate  the  additional  sum 
of  $1,000  to  celebrate  the  return  of  soldiers  and  sailors  now, 
or  late  in  the  service  of  the  United  States. 


VOTES    PERTAINING    TO    THE    ERECTION    OF 
THE    GENERAL    SHEPARD    MONUMENT 

Chapter  547,  Acts  of  1907 

The  Town  of  Westfield  may,  at  a  town  meeting  called 
for  that  purpose,  raise  and  appropriate  a  sum  not  exceeding 
five  thousand  dollars,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  monu- 
ment or  other  suitable  memorial  in  said  Town  to  the  mem- 
ory of  General  William  Shepard,  a  native  of  said  Town,  a 
general  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  and  a  representative 
in  Congress  from  this  Commonwealth  for  the  period  of  six 
years. 


WESTFJELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

Article  21,  Special  April  Warrant  1913 

To  see  if  the  Town  will  vote  in  accordance  with  the  pro- 
visions of  Chapter  547  of  the  Acts  of  the  year  1907  to  erect 
a  monument  or  other  suitable  memorial  in  said  Town  to 
the  memory  of  General  William  Shepard,  and  make  an 
appropriation  therefor. 

VOTE  PASSED  UNDER  ABOVE  ARTICLE 

Art.  21.  That  the  subject  matter  of  Article  21  be  re- 
ferred to  a  Committee  of  three  to  be  appointed  by  the 
Moderator  and  to  report  to  the  Town  at  a  future  meeting. 

COMMITTEE  APPOINTED 

HENRY  W.  ELY 
JAMES  C.  GREENOUGH  ARCHIE  D.  ROBINSON 

VOTE  PASSED  ON  REPORT  OF  ABOVE  COMMITTEE  AT  TOWN 
MEETING  HELD  APRIL  17,  1917 

Voted:  That  the  Town  appropriate  the  sum  of  $3,500 
under  Article  2 1  of  the  warrant  for  the  Special  April  Meet- 
ing in  1913,  and  that  a  Committee  of  five  be  appointed  to 
procure  and  have  charge  of  a  suitable  monument  to  Gen- 
eral Shepard. 

COMMITTEE  APPOINTED 

HENRY  W.  ELY 

ARCHIE  D.  ROBINSON  WILLIAM  T.  SMITH 

JAMES  C.  GREENOUGH  ARTHUR  S.  KNEIL 

VOTE   PASSED   UNDER   ARTICLE   7   AT   TOWN   MEETING 
HELD  JUNE  2,  1919 

Voted:  That  the  Town  appropriate  an  additional  sum  of 
$750  as  authorized  by  Chapter  547  of  the  Acts  of  the  year 
1907  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  to  the  memory  of 
General  William  Shepard. 

8 


EXECUTIVE   COMMITTEE 


William  B.  Reed 
(Chairman) 

Edwin  W.  Smith 
(Secretary) 


Willis  S.  Kellogg 
(Vice-Chairman) 

George  W.  Searle 
(Treasurer) 


Executive  Committee 


Joseph  B.  Ely 
John  R.  King 
Frederick  F.  Shepard 


Frank  Grant 
Charles  J.  Little 

Executive  Committee 


Edgar  L.  Gillett 
Joseph  A.  Kenyon 
Matthew  W.  Shine 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

The  Committee  of  One  Hundred  elected  officers  for  an 
Executive  Committee  which  should  have  general  charge 
of  the  Quarter-Millennial  Celebration,  and  empowered  the 
chairman,  William  B.  Reed,  to  appoint  the  balance  of  the 
committee. 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE 

WILLIAM  B.  REED,  Chairman 

WILLIS  S.  KELLOGG,  Vice-Chairman 

GEORGE  W.  SEARLE,  Treasurer 

EDWIN  W.  SMITH,  Secretary 

JOSEPH  B.  ELY  JOHN  R.  KING 

EDGAR  L.  GILLETT  CHARLES  J.  LITTLE 

FRANK  GRANT  FREDERICK  F.  SHEPARD 

JOSEPH  A.  KENYON  MATTHEW  W.  SHINE 

The  Executive  Committee  appointed  an  advisory  board 
to  work  with  it  in  order  that  a  broader  viewpoint  might  be 
obtained  as  to  the  nature  of  the  celebration. 

ADVISORY  BOARD 

CHESTER  H.  ABBE  JOHN  R.  KIRWIN 

GAMALIEL  E.  AUSTIN  ARTHUR  S.  KNEIL 

JOSEPH  D.  CADLE  MRS.  ELIZABETH  MORGAN  WAY 

DANIEL  F.  DOHERTY  LOZIER 

HENRY  W.  ELY  RICHARD  J.  MORRISSEY 

EDWARD  T.  FOWLER  FREDERICK  L.  PARKER 

MRS.  ELIZABETH  BUSH  FOWLER        GEORGE  D.  ROE 

Miss  LUCY  D.  GILLETT  MRS.  FRANCES  ABBOTT  SACKETT 

ROBERT  GOWDY  WILLIAM  T.  SMITH 

After  duly  considering  the  type  of  celebration  desired, 
the  following  committees  were  appointed : 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

COMMITTEES 
FINANCE  COMMITTEE 

LEWIS  C.  PARKER,   Chairman 
JAMES  H.  CLARK  LORING  P.  LANE 

PUBLICITY  COMMITTEE 

GEORGE  W.  SEARLE,  Chairman 
JOSEPH  D.  BATES  EDWIN  W.  SMITH 

COMMITTEE    FOR    PUBLICATION    OF    HISTORY    OF    TOWN 

OF  WESTFIELD 

JAMES  H.  CLARK,  Chairman 
JOSEPH  A.  KENYON  GEORGE  W.  MINER 

To  some  lovers  of  Westfield  and  her  history  it  was  known 
that  Rev.  John  H.  Lockwood  was  working  upon  a  history 
of  the  town,  and  therefore  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
consult  with  him  upon  the  appropriateness  of  publishing 
the  work  as  a  feature  of  the  celebration.  But  the  com- 
mittee learned  to  its  regret  that  it  would  be  impossible  to 
complete  the  manuscript  until  a  later  date. 

EDUCATIONAL  COMMITTEE 

ROBERT  CHAPIN  PARKER,  Chairman 
CLARENCE  A.  BRODEUR  CHESTER  D.  STILES 

Miss  MARY  A.  LONG  GEORGE  L.  LEWIS 

The  work  of  this  committee  was  confined  to  a  special 
effort  with  the  public  schools  of  the  town  of  Westfield.  A 
brief  history  of  the  town,  compiled  by  Chester  D.  Stiles, 
superintendent  of  schools,  from  the  historical  data  of  a 
longer  sketch  written  by  James  C.  Greenough,  former 
principal  of  the  Westfield  Normal  School,  was  printed  and 
distributed  among  the  grades  for  the  use  of  the  teachers  in 
conducting  their  classes  during  the  spring  term.  Plans 
were  made  for  the  lower  grades  to  hear  stories  of  Indian  life 
and  local  historical  events;  also  to  make  short  pilgrimages 
to  local  historical  sites  where  this  was  practicable.  In 

10 


CHAIRMEN  OF  COMMITTEES  ON  PREPARATION 


George  W.  Searle 

(Publicity) 
Robert  Chapin  Parker 

(Education) 


Frank  Grant 
(Invitations) 


Lewis  C.  Parker 

(Finance) 
James  H.  Clark 

(Publication  of  History  of 

Town) 


Chairmen  of  Committees  on  Preparation 


Percy  N.  Hall 

(Decorations) 
William  F.  Lyman 

(Souvenir  Program) 

George  E.  Shepard,  Jr. 

(Housing  and  Information) 


Louis  M.  Dewey 

(Marking  Historic  Sites) 
Harvey  J.  Cleveland 

(Music) 
George  D.  Roe 

(Transportation) 


Chairmen  of  Committees  on  Preparation 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

addition  to  this  the  graduating  class  of  the  High  School, 
under  the  direction  of  Principal  Herbert  W.  Kittredge, 
took  for  the  subject  of  the  graduation  exercises  the  history 
of  the  town  and  all  members  of  the  class  prepared  papers  on 
some  phase  of  local  history.  Those  who  received  com- 
mencement appointments  presented  their  productions  at 
the  regular  graduation  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
June  27,  1919. 

INVITATION  COMMITTEE 

FRANK  GRANT,  Chairman 

CHESTER  H.  ABBE  WILLIAM  B.  MAHONEY 

LEWIS  B.  ALL'YN  FREDERICK  F.  SHEPARD 

HERBERT  W.  KITTREDGE 

This  committee  began  its  work  many  months  in  advance. 
It  endeavored  to  procure  as  complete  a  list  as  possible  of 
former  residents  and  descendants  of  Westfield  families 
living  elsewhere.  To  these  four  thousand  or  more,  whose 
names  were  obtained,  was  sent  literature  concerning  the 
proposed  celebration.  Notably  the  Valley  Echo  of  July  18, 
1919,  which  was  known  as  "The  Celebration  Issue"  and 
contained  the  following  articles: 

"  The  Celebration  " William  B.  Reed 

"The  Bi-Centennial  Celebration"     .      .  Miss  Mary  S.  Thayer 

"The  First  Settlement  at  Woronoco"    .  Charles  H.  Bar tlett 

"  General  William  Shepard  "  ....  Arthur  S.  Kneil 

"The  Pageant" Mrs.  Patty  Lee  Waterman  Clark 

"The  Souvenir  Program"       ....  William  F.  Lyman 

"A  Pen  Sketch  of  Westfield"       .      .      .  George  W.  Searle 

In  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  issue  was  the  accompanying 
"Summons,"  which  was  forerunner  to  the  formal  invitation 
also  reproduced  here.  The  records  show  that  invitations 
were  sent  to  every  state  in  the  Union,  except  Mississippi, 
and  New  Mexico;  to  the  District  of  Columbia,  Alaska,  the 
Hawaiian  Islands  and  the  Philippines,  and  to  some  fourteen 
other  foreign  states  or  countries. 

ii 


WESTFIELD,        MA-  SSACHUSETTS 


COMMONWEALTH  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 


TOWN  OF  WESTFIELD 
COUNTT  OF  HAMPDEN 

To  any  and  all  who  still  hold  love  for  and  fond  memories  of  fl'estfield — 
Greetings: 

You  are  hereby  summoned  in  the  name  of  said  Westfield  to  appear  before 
its  present  inhabitants  on  the  31st  day  of  August  next,  at  such  hour  of  the 
day  as  may  best  suit  your  convenience,  and  to  continue  with  them  from  day 
to  day  thereafter,  especially  through  the  1st,  Snd  and  3rd  days  of  September, 
happily  to  celebrate  the  Two  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  incor- 
poration of  said  inhabitants  as  a  town  in  this  Commonwealth. 

At  that  time  to  give  evidence  of  the  memories  you  treasure  relating  to  life 
in  said  Westfield,  then  and  there  to  be  enjoyed  between  old  friends.  You  are 
invited  whether  once  a  sojourner,  to  the  manor  born,  or  a  descendant  of  any 
so  fortunate. 

Hereof  fail  not  as  you  witt  answer  your  default  under  the  pains  and 
penalties  of  lost  opportunities. 

Given  under  our  hands  and  seals  this  eleventh  day  of  July,  A.  D.,  1919. 

FRANK  GRANT 
HERBERT  IT.  KITTREDGE 
FRED  F.  SHEPARD 
WM.  B.  MAHONEY 
LEWIS  B.  ALLYN 
CHESTER  H.  ABBE 

Committee  on  Invitations 


12 


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WESTFIELD 


MASSACHUSETTS 


HOUSING  AND  INFORMATION  COMMITTEE 

GEORGE  E.  SHEPARD,  JR.,  Chairman 
DENNISON  H.  LOOMIS  FREDERICK  H.  SCOTT 

FRED  SCHMIDT  GEORGE  T.  SLAUTER 

Owing  to  the  numerous  inquiries  concerning  accommo- 
dations, it  early  became  apparent  that  housing  was  an 
important  part  of  the  work  of  this  committee.  The  accom- 
panying information  slip  was  therefore  sent  to  thousands 
of  possible  visitors. 

While  the  celebration  was  in  progress  the  committee  had 
its  headquarters  at  the  Town  Hall  and  the  duties  of  the 
Information  Bureau  were  manifold. 


25Qth  Anniversary 

< 
i 

SI.  00  per  day 
S2.00  per  day 
3me  (no  meals) 

WESTFIBI 

PLEASE  RESERVE  FOR  ME 
C3  single    room 
Q  double  room 
in  private  h< 

*l    is  cancullod  on  or  bcloro  August  23rd  .  l»19. 

Evening.  August  Slat  Historical  Address. 
September  Int  Historical  Pageant, 
(caat  of  800  people). 
September  2nd  Community  I'ienir. 
September  3rd  Unveiling  of  General 
Shepard  Monument. 

Return  promptly  to  F.  H.  Soott. 
9  Mill   St..  Weatfield.  Mass,    or 
write   him  for   further  informa- 
tion. 

CHAIRMEN    OF   COMMITTEES  ON   ENTERTAINMENT 


George  L.  Gay  lord 

(Industrial  Exhibit) 

Daniel  F.  Doherty 
Henry  W.  Ely  (Parade) 

(Dedication  of  Monument) 


Gamaliel  E.  Austin 
(Community  Day) 

Rev.  Clement  E.  Holmes,  Ph.D. 
(Welcome  to  Service  Men) 


Chairmen  of  Committees  on  Entertainment 





Mrs.  Henry  D.  Chadwick 

(Hostess  House  and  Loan  Exhibit) 
Lester  Paige  Breckenridge,  Eng.  D. 

(Reminiscence  Meeting) 


William  T.  Smith 

(Historical  Address) 
Mrs.  Patty  Lee  Waterman  Clark 

(Pageant) 


Chairmen  of  Committees  on  Entertainment 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


TRANSPORTATION  COMMITTEE 

GEORGE  D.  ROE,  Chairman 

ROBERT  C.  LOOMIS,  Vice-Chairman 
ROY  CHAMBERS  HARRY  LAMPMAN 

LUKE  CORCORAN  DANIEL  F.  McCALL 

THURSTON  S.  CUDWORTH  ARTHUR  C.  SAUERS 

SOUVENIR  PROGRAM  COMMITTEE 

WILLIAM  F.  LYMAN,  Chairman 

RAY  L.  BARTLETT  Miss  LOUISE  E.  SNOW 

EDWARD  G.  CLARK  Miss  MARY  S.  THAYER 

Miss  ELIZABETH  M.  HOOKER 

MUSIC  COMMITTEE 

HARVEY  J.  CLEVELAND,  Chairman 
LEWIS  B.  ALLYN  GEORGE  L.  GAYLORD 

MRS.  PATTY  LEE  CLARK  FREDERIC  GOODWIN 

GLENN  B.  COWLES  MRS.  MARY  MYERS  PARKER 

COMMITTEE  FOR  MARKING  HISTORIC  SITES 

Louis  M.  DEWEY,  Chairman 

S.  AUGUSTUS  ALLEN  GEORGE  R.  KEIFE 

HOMER  BUSH  GEORGE  L.  LEWIS 

JAMES  A.  CONDRON  DR.  A.  FOWLER  NOBLE 

J.  CHAMBERS  DEWEY  MRS.  MARIA  MOSELEY  WHITNEY 

MRS.  HENRY  HOLLAND 

Under  the  supervision  of  this  committee,  more  than 
one  hundred  residences  and  places  of  historic  interest  were 
marked. 

The  Celebration  Committee  referred  the  matter  of  an 
industrial  exhibit  to  the  Board  of  Trade  who  appointed  the 
following  committee: 

INDUSTRIAL  EXHIBIT  COMMITTEE 

GEORGE  L.  GAYLORD,  Chairman 
NORMAN  R.  CLARK  RALPH  G.  ROGERS 

The  exhibit  was  placed  under  a  tent,  measuring  30  by  180 
feet,  erected  at  the  Court  Street  end  in  Holland  Avenue,  the 

15 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

street  being  closed  to  traffic  by  order  of  the  Selectmen. 
Here,  from  10  in  the  morning  until  10  at  night,  visitors  might 
obtain  an  idea  of  the  diversity  of  Westfield's  manufactured 
products. 

Charles  J.  lies  had  general  oversight  of  the  exhibit  and 
someone  was  always  present  to  assist  in  the  reception  of 
guests,  or  to  furnish  information.  Representatives  of  the 
various  manufacturers  were  also  on  hand  to  explain  their 
products.  Twenty-five  entered  exhibits: 

Atwater  Knitting  Co Underwear 

Adams  Nurseries Shrubs 

Alrutz  &  Hadley Pipe  dampers 

Brien  Heater Heating  boilers 

Crane  Bros Paper 

Foster  Machine  Co Winding  machines 

Git  Mfg.  Co Hand  soap 

Hampden.  Toy  Co Toys 

John  Klar Monumental  designs 

Kenwood  Printing  Co Printing 

Mars  Paper  Co Paper 

New  England  Whip  Co Whips 

M.  B.  Nelson Preserves 

Noble  Cigar  Co Cigars 

Planet  Co Folding  pails,  etc. 

Robinson  Mfg.  Co Memorandum  books 

Rogers  Silver  Co Casket  hardware 

The  H.  B.  Smith  Co Boilers  and  radiators 

Textile  Mfg.  Co Casket  hardware 

United  States  Whip  Co Whips 

Vitrified  Wheel  Co Abrasive  wheels 

Warren  Thread  Works Threads 

Westfield  Clay  Products  Co Brick 

Westfield  Mfg.  Co Bicycles 

Westfield  Boys'  Trade  School Tools 


16 


s 
2 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


DECORATION  COMMITTEE 

PERCY  N.  HALL,  Chairman 

JOHN  CARL  CLARENCE  A.  KINARD 

WILLIAM  J.  CHAPMAN  M.  R.  KING 

JAMES  CONDRON  JOHN  H.  POWER 

FRED  E.  BEALS  FRANK  L.  SQUIRE 

FREDERICK  G.  FARR  Louis  D.  WHEELER 

"Garbed  in  a  riot  of  color,  which  has  never  been  equaled 
in  the  town's  history,  Westfield  rested  tonight,  after 
strenuous  days  of  endeavor,  on  the  eve  of  the  greatest 
festival  of  its  community  life,  the  four  days  observance  of 
the  25Oth  anniversary  of  its  founding,  which  begins  to- 
morrow and  ends  Wednesday  night. 

"Centering  on  Park  Square,  every  thoroughfare  which 
leads  into  it  is  a  canopy  of  flags,  pennants  and  bunting. 
The  Square  itself  is  a  fairyland  with  hundreds  of  banners, 
streamers  and  decorations.  The  centerpiece  of  it  all  is 
the  huge  flagstaff  towering  above  the  trees  of  the  town 
Green  and  the  Honor  Roll  of  those  who  entered  service, 
which  stands  at  its  base. 

"Festoons  of  pennants  in  long  strings  radiate  from  the 
staff  across  trees  to  every  corner  and  to  fixed  points  along 
the  side.  Crisscrossing  beneath  these  are  lanes  of  flags 
and  the  Welcome  Home  banners  dedicated  to  the  town's 
soldier  sons.  Intermingled  with  the  national  colors  are  the 
flags  of  all  the  Allies,  blended  so  that  all  form  a  brilliant- 
hued  mass.  Viewed  from  the  Shepard  Triangle,  Elm  Street 
and  other  highways  leading  to  Park  Square  seem  to  be  a 
series  of  arches  which  out-rival  any  rainbow  for  kaleidoscopic 
coloring. 

"To  carry  out  this  effect  still  more,  every  telephone,  tel- 
egraph and  trolley  pole  is  bedecked  with  arms  of  bunting, 
and  the  cornices,  sides  and  copings  of  buildings  are  bloom- 
ing with  red,  white  and  blue.  Symmetry  in  the  scheme  of 
decoration  rules.  It  shows  on  every  hand  the  result  of  care- 

2  17 


WESTFILED,        MASSACHUSETTS 

ful  planning.  Now  and  then  on  the  larger  buildings  there 
are  centerpieces  consisting  of  paintings  of  men  famous  in 
these  and  other  times.  These  range  from  pictures  of  Wash- 
ington to  that  of  Major-General  Clarence  R.  Edwards, 
former  beloved  leader  of  the  Fighting  Yankee  Division, 
which  decorates  the  headquarters  of  Westfield  Post  of  the 
American  Legion. 

"Private  homes,  public  buildings  and  even  bridges  have 
not  been  forgotten.  Westfield  is  in  holiday  attire  from  its 
outermost  limits  to  the  heart  of  its  business  district." — 
The  Springfield  Union,  Saturday,  August  30,  1919. 

HOSTESS  HOUSE  AND  LOAN  EXHIBIT  COMMITTEE 

MRS.  HENRY  D.  CHADWICK,  Chairman 
Miss  Avis  WATERBURY  Miss  LOUISE  E.  SNOW 

MRS.  ELLSWORTH  H.  PLUMER          MRS.  LILLIAN  AVERY 
MRS.  FREDERIC  GOODWIN 

This  delightful  and  instructive  feature  of  the  celebration 
was  under  the  direction  of  the  art  committee  of  the  Woman's 
Club  of  Westfield. 

The  brick  house  just  south  of  the  High  School  was  selected. 
It  was  built  about  forty  years  ago  by  Noah  Strong;  but 
being  acquired  by  the  town  it  has  recently  been  used  for 
school  purposes. 

Here  tea  was  served  every  day  to  thousands  of  guests, 
who  were  received  by  hostesses  in  quaint,  old  costumes. 
Mrs.  E.  R.  Hawley  was  in  charge  of  this  department, 
assisted  by  the  following  committees : 

SATURDAY  Mrs.  Peter  Prout,  Chairman 

Mrs.  Charles  E.  Cooley  Mrs.  Edwin  L.  Gannett 

Miss  Helen  Austin  Mrs.  Walter  C.  Ring 

Mrs.  Percy  N.  Hall 

SUNDAY  Mrs.  Robert  Marr,  Chairman 

Mrs.  George  H.  Janes  Mrs.  James  B.  O'Brien 

Miss  Virginia  Noble  Mrs.  Robert  Gowdy 

MONDAY  Mrs.  Fred  Nash,  Chairman 

Mrs.  Fred  Rice  Mrs.  Harry  C.  Washburn 

18 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

TUESDAY  Mrs.  Herbert  O.  Sanford,  Chairman 

Mrs.  George  Clark  Mrs.  Louise  F.  Martin 

Mrs.  Harry  Hammersley  Mrs.  Clifton  Moore 

WEDNESDAY  Mrs.  J.  Wells  Loomis,  Chairman 

Mrs.  Charles  H.  Beals  Mrs.  John  Long 

Mrs.  L.  D.  Harden  Mrs.  B.  A.  Edgar 

Mrs.  Burton  Prince 

"Many  groups  of  children  came  without  guardians  and 
the  hostesses  made  up  'personally  conducted'  parties, 
telling  the  children  the  story  of  the  bit  of  an  old  Continental 
flag,  in  the  upper  hall ;  of  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims,  bring- 
ing the  primitive  family  treasures  as  shown  in  the  early 
colonial  interior,  such  as  the  Governor  Carver  chair,  pew- 
ter, etc. 

"Small  boys  stood  enthralled  before  the  old  drums  of 
1812;  the  Revolutionary  muskets;  the  guns  and  swords  of 
the  Civil  War. 

"One  group  of  Italians  were  so  impressed  with  the  fire- 
place in  the  old  cabin  interior,  its  kettles  and  griddles,  its 
spinning  wheel,  etc.,  that  they  exclaimed:  'Why!  This 
is  just  as  it  is  in  our  own  country  now!  All  is  just  the  same 
at  home ! '  An  old  foreigner  pointed  to  the  spinning  wheel 
and  said:  'My  mamma  she  do  this  just  same."  —The 
Springfield  Republican,  September  3,  1919. 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

REPORT  OF  HOSTESS  HOUSE  AND  LOAN  EXHIBIT 
MRS.  HENRY  D.  CHADWICK 

I  think,  to  many  of  us,  the  celebrating  of  the  25Oth 
Anniversary  of  the  settlement  of  Westfield  was  a  glad  time ; 
a  time  of  inspiration  that  brought  with  it  a  sense  of  pledge 
to  all  those  splendid  New  England  settlers,  the  imprints  of 
whose  lives  we  are  constantly  coming  across  in  all  our 
doings. 

We  were  glad  too  to  unite  with  this  feeling  a  joy  in  the 
home  coming  of  our  soldier  boys  and  the  end  of  war.  We 
felt  all  through  the  celebration  the  spirit  of  the  splendid 
past  of  our  New  England  and  were  glad  to  turn  from  the 
tumult  of  war  to  do  honor  to  those  ancestors  handing  down 
to  us  such  a  heritage  of  loyalty  and  right  living. 

And  so  we  entered  into  all  the  plans  with  great  enthusiasm 
and  the  great  things  accomplished  did  not  seem  burden- 
some in  the  doing.  I  think  it  might  be  called  Americanism 
that  possessed  us  and  Americanism  written  large! 

To  me  the  idea  of  an  historical  loan  exhibit  seemed  the 
very  first  and  closest  expression  of  our  nearness  to,  and 
interest  in,  the  early  days  of  the  settlements.  I  felt  that 
we  should  bring  together  and  gaze  once  more  upon  those 
souvenirs,  utensils  and  belongings  which  had  really  been  a 
part  of  the  life  of  old  Westfield,  used  and  lived  with,  by 
those  people  once  peopling  the  town  as  we  do  today. 

So  it  was  with  real  delight  and  pleasure  that  I  carried  on 
this  work  with  the  sanction  of  the  General  Committee  of 
the  Celebration,  and  the  enthusiastic  promise  of  support 
from  the  Westfield  Woman's  Club.  The  plan  as  developed 
was  to  unite  the  Loan  Exhibit  with  a  Hostess  House  proj- 
ect or  Welcome  Home  House,  where  the  many  strangers 
and  returning  Westfield  people  could  find  a  touch  of  wel- 
come, and  a  large  bit  of  the  old  town  gathered  together 
again  for  all  to  see  and  enjoy. 

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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

The  brick  building  next  to  the  High  School,  built  by 
Noah  Strong  as  a  home  about  forty  years  ago,  and  lately 
used  as  a  vocational  school,  the  building  belonging  to  the 
town,  was  decided  upon  as  the  place  for  this  combination 
of  work  to  be  carried  on  by  the  Woman's  Club  during  the 
celebration. 

Now  it  devolved  upon  me  to  fulfil  my  promise  to  get 
together  such  an  exhibit,  prepare  the  building  for  it  and 
have  all  in  readiness  for  the  Woman's  Club  to  take  it  over 
and  "carry  on  "  the  five  days  inclusive  of  Saturday,  August 
30  to  September  3.  Then  the  darkest  hours  of  the  project 
dawned  for  me,  for  the  committee  did  not  think  I  needed 
very  much  money  and  the  building  proved  to  be  in  a  very 
sad  state  after  its  occupation  as  a  sort  of  machine  shop  and 
trades  school.  It  was  a  worrisome  time  then  to  watch  the 
precious  dollars  leak  away  to  pay  plumber,  painter  and 
cleaners.  But  slowly  cleanliness  and  freshness  crept  over 
the  old  house  and  soft  grey  walls  replaced  the  unspeakable 
paper  and  paint.  Then  came  the  delightful  days  of  hunting 
about  the  old  homes  and  garrets  and  treasure  chests  for  the 
wealth  of  material  to  fill  the  bare  rooms.  I  shall  never 
forget  the  happy  hours  spent  with  some  of  the  older  people 
and  listening  to  their  stories  and  memories  of  other  days; 
in  climbing  dark  and  dusty  stairs  to  old  garrets,  store- 
houses, etc.,  to  bring  forth  many  priceless,  almost  forgotten, 
treasures  to  the  light.  One  of  our  most  precious  old  homes 
in  Westfield  is  the  "Moseley  Mansion"  on  Union  Street 
and  to  few  families  is  given  the  privilege  of  keeping  safely 
together  under  one  roof  so  many  wonderful  old  heirlooms 
of  the  long  ago.  Mrs.  Maria  Moseley  Whitney,  living 
there  today,  and  her  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  Thomas  Moseley, 
joint  owner  of  the  place  with  her,  were  so  generous  and  so 
appreciative  that  the  treasures  from  this  house  alone  made 
a  fine  exhibit.  This  old  house  has  the  spinning-wheels, 
chests,  etc.,  of  the  seventeenth  century;  the  Revolutionary 

21 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

relics;  even  portraits  brought  over  from  England.  It  is  a 
shrine  for  all  old  Westfield  lovers  and  long  may  it  stand 
and  the  famous  Moseley  hospitality  be  offered  to  us  there. 

Mrs.  Holland,  though  an  invalid,  gave  from  her  treasures 
with  the  traditions  of  other  days  about  them.  Dr.  Burge, 
with  his  memories  of  Indian  wars,  as  well  as  the  Civil  War, 
gave  generously  of  both  treasure  and  story.  Indeed  before 
the  exhibit  was  announced  closed  to  further  loans  from 
lack  of  space  so  many  treasures  from  so  many  notable  and 
old  families  came  forth  we  were  really  amazed  at  the 
quantity  Westfield  could  show  if  she  really  tried.  As  it 
was  the  Strong  house,  filled  as  it  was,  showed  only  a  little 
beginning  of  what  the  town  might  have  shown  with  more 
time  and  space,  even  using  careful  selection. 

As  the  work  on  the  Loan  Exhibit  progressed  new  prob- 
lems developed.  Where  I  had  hoped  to  make  candlelight 
do  for  lighting  I  found  it  would  be  impossible  as  we  would 
wish  to  keep  open  long  evenings  and  even  in  the  daylight 
the  house  proved  dark,  so  it  seemed  necessary  to  add  elec- 
trical fixtures.  Then  it  seemed  right  to  insure  so  valuable 
a  collection  against  burglary  and  theft.  When,  however,  I 
brought  these  troubles  before  Mr.  William  Reed  and  other 
officials  of  the  General  Committee  they  were  troubles  no 
longer  as  they  assured  me  funds  to  cover  these  added 
expenses.  Then  again  when  it  was  found  best  to  have 
watchmen  stay  in  the  Hostess  House  nights,  as  the  value  of 
the  exhibit  grew,  offers  came  to  me  from  several  men  to 
arrange  for  that.  And  so  the  way  smoothed  out. 

Mrs.  Lewis  B.  Allyn,  president  of  the  Woman's  Club, 
called  a  meeting  of  the  Executive  Board,  where  plans  were 
formulated  for  committees  to  take  charge  of  the  tea  rooms 
in  the  Hostess  House  through  the  five  days  we  planned  to 
keep  it  open,  namely  from  Saturday,  August  30  to  Septem- 
ber 3  inclusive,  with  Mrs.  Hawley  as  general  chairman. 
Mrs.  Lillian  Avery  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  host- 

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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

esses  to  act  as  guards  and  guides  as  well  in  the  rooms 
containing  the  Loan  Exhibit.  These  hostesses  took  charge 
in  three  shifts  of  six  each,  from  9  to  i,  I  to  5  and  5  to  10, 
each  day.  All  hostesses  were  to  wear  old  fashioned  cos- 
tumes and  carry  out  the  spirit  and  the  flavor  of  the  past  as 
far  as  they  could,  which  they  succeeded  in  doing  most 
admirably.  Other  members  of  the  Woman's  Club  volun- 
teered to  help  in  the  arranging  and  cataloguing  of  the 
articles  as  received.  Miss  Florence  Smith  acted  as  secre- 
tary and  clerk  and  did  much  valuable  work  in  marking, 
cataloguing  and  listing  everything  as  far  as  possible. 
Others  loaned  their  cars  to  go  for  small  and  fragile  things. 
Mr.  George  D.  Roe,  as  chairman  of  the  Transportation 
Committee,  helped  tremendously  by  sending  trucks  for 
heavy  furniture.  Also  he,  as  well  as  other  newspaper  men, 
helped  by  notices  in  the  papers. 

Having  gotten  the  material  promised,  the  house  ready 
and  the  first  day  of  receiving  the  loans  having  arrived,  an- 
other delightful  phase  came  to  me,  the  arranging  of  all 
these  beautiful  and  precious  things  to  the  best  advantage 
and  with  the  best  effect.  It  was  like  painting  a  picture  to 
arrange  the  rooms.  The  large  room  on  the  first  floor  was 
to  be  a  colonial  parlor.  Against  the  grey  walls  the  rasp- 
berry damask  hangings  from  the  James  Fowler  home, 
which  is  now  the  Atheneum  Building,  and  which  were 
loaned  by  Miss  Lucy  D.  Gillett,  granddaughter  of  James 
Fowler,  gave  a  delightful  touch  to  the  windows  and  room. 
Then,  as  a  glowing  center,  the  beautiful  gilt  mirror  from 
General  Shepard's  family,  loaned  by  his  direct  descendant, 
Mrs.  Ronan,  hung  over  the  mantel.  There  were  two  old 
corner  cupboards  filled  with  precious  china,  glass,  silver, 
pewter,  etc.  One  of  these  cupboards  was  from  the  Moseley 
house  on  Union  Street  and  one  was  from  the  old  Day- 
Spencer  house,  now  remodelled  and  standing  on  the  State 
Sanatorium  grounds.  The  first  piano  brought  into  West- 

23 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

field,  and  loaned  by  the  Prout  family,  was  a  thing  of  grace 
and  beauty  but  age  had  removed  its  music.  Some  very 
fine  and  priceless  loans  came  from  the  family  of  Congress- 
man Gillett,  descendants  of  Samuel  Fowler,  Esq.  One 
was  a  letter  from  Paul  Revere  to  Mr.  Fowler  about  the 
Academy  bell  which  he  had  cast  in  his  foundry  and  the 
tone  of  which  had  been  criticized  in  Westfield.  This  bell 
fell  later,  during  the  burning  of  the  Academy  Building  and 
a  few  pieces  of  it  are  still  owned  by  people  in  Westfield. 
Another  Gillett  loan  was  a  "licquor  case"  of  fine  inlaid 
wood,  delicate  flasks,  bottles  and  glasses  handed  down  from 
the  old  days.  Also  a  mahogany  piece  which  may  have  been 
a  "licquor  cooler"  in  the  early  days  but  since  has  been  a 
"washstand"  and  now  is  a  beautiful  little  cabinet,  what- 
ever its  use  might  be. 

From  this  family  also  came  remarkable  portraits  of  very 
early  work.  A  very  interesting  high  backed,  black  walnut 
chair,  in  which  Captain  William  Moseley  or  "Captain 
Bill"  used  to  read  family  prayers;  a  Windsor  armchair 
once  owned  by  General  William  Shepard;  chairs  from  the 
Gillett,  Gaylord,  H.  B.  Smith,  Harold  Moseley,  Holland 
and  other  families,  representing  several  periods,  graced 
this  beautiful  room. 

A  very  fine  Chippendale  "chest  on  chest"  loaned  by  Mr. 
J.  J.  Carl,  collector  and  connoisseur  of  old  furniture,  added 
a  great  charm  and  dignity  to  this  room.  The  family  of 
Mrs.  John  R.  Reed  of  Court  Street  loaned  a  portrait  of  Nor- 
man T.  Leonard  for  many  years  a  prominent  attorney  in 
Westfield.  There  were  other  fine  pieces  of  furniture,  old 
tables,  etc.,  as  well  as  portraits,  candlesticks,  fireplace 
fixtures,  first  oil  lamps,  the  silver  baptismal  bowl  of  the 
First  Congregational  Church,  date  1824,  dainty  snuff 
boxes,  little  boxes  containing  sand  for  blotting  letters  and 
wafers  to  seal  letters  in  those  old,  old  days.  There  was  a 
pewter  ink-well  and  goose  quill,  the  old  "toddy-glass" 

24 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

and  mixer  brought  out  to  entertain  the  minister  when  he 
called  way  back  before  1800.  There  was  a  King  George 
"toby"  or  mug  from  the  family  of  Lieutenant- Colonel 
Edwin  Van  Deusen,  of  the  United  States  Army.  There 
was  a  very  remarkable  communion  service  of  lead,  the  old 
jug-like  pitcher  and  little  mugs  coming  from  Granville  and 
loaned  by  Mrs.  Ralph  S.  Brown.  On  one  wall  hung  a  piece 
of  hand  woven  tapestry,  a  part  of  the  large  collection  loaned 
by  the  collector  and  dealer  of  antiques,  Mrs.  Willard  S. 
Fuller  of  Franklin  Street.  Lamps  and  candlesticks  hung 
with  the  old  time  crystal  pendants  added  grace  to  the  room. 
Lustre  ware  pitchers,  egg  shell  china,  old  glass,  wrought 
silver,  wine  carafes,  all  kinds  of  pewter;  in  fact  more  than 
one  can  ever  describe  made  this  room  a  most  perfect  ensem- 
ble to  greet  the  visitor  on  his  or  her  first  entering  the  house. 

Then  on  the  right  were  two  smaller  rooms  opening  the 
one  into  the  other  which  were  used  as  tea  rooms,  where 
refreshments  were  served  by  members  of  the  Woman's 
Club.  Each  day  several  groups  of  ladies  attended  to  this 
part  of  the  Hostess  House  activities,  which  was  greatly 
appreciated  by  many  visitors.  These  two  rooms  were  also 
furnished  with  old  furniture  and  heirlooms  of  Westfield, 
as  well  as  garnished  with  lovely  flowers.  In  one  was  a 
great  old  sideboard  which  once  belonged  to  the  family  of 
Governor  Hale;  a  wondrous  tall  "grandfather's  clock" 
loaned  by  Dr.  A.  Fowler  Noble;  also  two  other  fine  old 
clocks  from  Mr.  James  Brown,  one  a  French  banjo  or  hour 
glass  clock,  the  other  a  still  older  shelf  clock. 

One  of  the  interesting  things  in  this  room  was  a  strange 
old  painting  in  water  color  loaned  by  Miss  Lucy  D.  Gillett; 
another  was  a  group  of  four  Westfield  sisters,  of  the  Kneil 
family. 

A  really  beautiful  oil  portrait  of  a  youth  of  about  1800 
was  the  center  of  interest  over  the  mantel,  loaned  by  Mrs. 
Edwina  Chaffin. 

25 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

Some  very  fine  old  lacquered  trays  were  used  to  decorate 
the  walls  in  the  next  room,  as  well  as  unique  oil  paintings 
from  the  Van  Deusen  family.  In  this  room  was  an  old  serv- 
ing table  from  the  Moseley  home;  a  low-boy  of  the  Silas 
Root  family,  from  the  home  of  Miss  Frances  T.  Boise  and 
Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Hooker;  candle  stands,  folding  tables, 
old  chairs,  clocks,  etc.  Some  very  fine  mirrors  and  a  huge 
old  pewter  communion  service  loaned  by  Mrs.  Charles 
Cooley  added  much  to  these  two  most  attractive  tea  rooms, 
where  it  was  a  delight  to  sit  and  rest  and  taste  the  viands 
offered  by  the  gracious  hostesses. 

Upstairs  was  reserved  a  rest  room.  In  the  hall  was  a 
remarkable  collection  of  Indian  relics  from  this  locality, 
loaned  and  in  charge  of  Mr.  Henry  Miller  of  Southwick. 
He  showed  types  of  stone  receptacles,  arrow  heads  and 
hatchets,  making  a  most  instructive  and  interesting  exhibit. 

One  of  the  very  best  and  I  think  quite  the  most  popular 
feature  of  the  whole  Loan  Exhibit  was  the  pioneer  or  Puri- 
tan interior  or  kitchen.  In  planning  this  I  made  use  of  a 
stage  setting  which  I  had  painted  for  a  group  of  Puritan 
scenes  presented  one  Thanksgiving  Day  on  the  stage  at 
the  State  Sanatorium.  The  scene  depicted  a  log  interior 
with  small  high  windows,  a  little  wall  cupboard  and  a 
rough  stone  chimney  and  fireplace,  as  well  as  old  heavy 
doors  with  great  iron  hinges,  as  we  know  those  earliest 
cabins  were  built.  By  putting  up  this  whole  scene  in  a 
rough  old  shop  in  the  "ell"  of  the  Strong  house  and  adding 
logs  and  a  red  light  to  the  fireplace,  a  most  gratifyingly  real 
effect  was  given  as  a  background  for  the  heirlooms  of  the 
days  as  far  back  as  the  seventeenth  century.  Dried  apples 
and  herbs  were  hung  upon  the  walls;  about  the  fireplace 
were  the  old  implements — tongs,  shovels,  "slices"  (long 
handled  shovels  used  in  the  brick  ovens),  toasters,  "grids," 
a  crane  upon  which  hung  kettles  of  copper  and  of  iron ;  little 
three-legged  iron  skillets;  the  old  bellows  to  blow  the  fire; 

26 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

ladles,  etc.,  etc.  A  huge  brass  kettle  loaned  from  the  old 
Greenough  house  and  the  Bates  family,  as  well  as  a  fine 
Governor  Carver  chair  were  in  this  quaint  and  ancient  ap- 
pearing room.  One  of  the  old  wooden  cradles,  spinning 
and  flax  wheels,  as  well  as  winding  wheels,  an  old  rush 
broom,  a  Revolutionary  flintlock  musket,  ancient  snow- 
shoes  and  threadbare  very  old  rag  carpet  of  lovely  hues 
added  their  interest  here.  In  this  room  were  two  very, 
very  old  wooden  chests,  the  leather  covering  hanging  in 
tatters  from  the  brass  headed  nails.  One  of  these  is 
marked  1672  in  brass  nails  and  came  from  the  Moseley 
garret.  The  other  came  from  the  old  Dr.  Mather  garret 
and  was  once  used  by  the  sheriff  to  hold  the  town  records 
of  West  field.  There  too  was  the  old  painted,  wooden 
tall  clock  brought  up  the  Connecticut  River  on  a  schooner 
from  Saybrook  before  1750  to  the  Moseley  family. 

Here  also  were  very  old  leather  saddle  bags  used  by 
Westfield  doctors  and  farmers;  the  queer,  round,  first  tin 
bathtub  of  old  Dr.  Mather's  time;  the  stone  mortar  and 
pestle,  heavy  beyond  words,  used  by  Dr.  Holland ;  a  queer, 
most  unusual  and  mammoth  cheese  basket  of  reed,  used  to 
make  cheeses  in  old  Granville.  In  a  set  of  shelves  against 
the  wall  were  many  curious  relics  of  those  very  early  days, 
such  as  candle  moulds  of  many  kinds ;  wrought  iron  shears 
and  "frizzles";  iron  candlesticks;  a  compass  carried  by 
Colonel  David  Moseley  before  the  Revolution.  Here  were 
old  stone  jugs;  foot-stoves  for  charcoal,  which  kept  the 
feet  of  colonial  dames  warm  in  heatless  churches;  Paul 
Revere  lanterns  of  pierced  tin;  later  square  lanterns  with 
glass;  both  crockery  and  wooden  butter  churns  of  the 
ancient  kinds.  This  room  certainly  stirred  one's  imagina- 
tion and  one's  interest  to  the  depths  and  appealed  to  all 
ages  and  classes  of  visitors.  It  was  most  interesting  to 
see  the  children,  of  both  American  and  foreign  birth,  sit 
or  stand  here  and  brood  over  these  primitive  furnishings 

27 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

and  utensils.  They  asked  many  questions  and  the  hostesses 
were  very  glad  to  explain  it  all. 

Some  of  the  foreign  born  were  happy  here  to  see  things  so 
much  "like  we  do  at  home."  Some  of  them  said  that 
"Mother  used  the  spinning-wheel  now,  just  the  same," 
or  the  fireplace  was  like  that  in  the  home  "in  the  old  coun- 
try." One  dear  lady  of  one  of  our  old  Westfield  families, 
whose  eyes  are  growing  dimmer,  made  me  go  back  with  her 
to  prove  the  walls  were  not  real  logs  nor  the  bark  real  bark. 
This  interior  seemed  to  make  us  all  long  to  linger  and  re- 
construct in  our  minds  the  customs  and  the  life  of  our  old 
New  England ;  the  days  of  few  and  simple  things  all  made 
by  hard  work  and  effort.  Perhaps  life  was  the  bigger  and 
fresher  for  that. 

Perhaps  when  we  compare  that  restful  quiet  interior 
with  those  of  our  more  complex  life  of  today  we  feel  a  little 
weary  and  wonder  if  we  are  not  missing  something  after 
all,  that  belonged  to  those  other  days. 

But  opening  out  from  this  came  another  room  and  more 
precious  things  to  study.  Here  were  gathered  the  sou- 
venirs of  my  lady,  the  dainty  as  well  as  the  ruder  fabrics. 
There  were  home  spun  linens;  hand  spun  and  woven  blan- 
kets of  wool;  woven  counterpanes  and  later  marvelous 
quilts.  There  were  all  kinds  of  samplers  worked  by  tiny 
hands  of  those  far-away  days  but  so  real  to  us  today, 
bringing  up  pictures  of  tired  little  maidens  toiling  over 
daily  "stints"  of  fancy  stitches.  Here  also  were  the 
ruffled  shirts  and  "small  clothes"  of  ye  gentleman  of  past 
days;  his  embroidered  satin  waistcoats  and  silk  stockings. 
There  were  bonnets  of  many  quaint  and  lovable  styles 
worn  by  Westfield  girls  of  1750  to  1850  perhaps.  In  glass 
cases  in  this  room  were  wonderful  glimpses  of  the  belles  of 
the  seventeenth,  eighteenth  and  nineteenth  centuries. 
From  the  Fowler  and  Gillett  families,  from  the  Nobles, 
Shepards,  Aliens,  Moseleys,  Topliffes,  etc.,  were  laces, 

28 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

wedding  things,  dainty  high-heeled  slippers  and  riding 
boots,  old  high  backed  combs  and  lockets;  all  my  ladies' 
finery,  even  corsets,  or  as  they  then  were  called  "stays." 
Wonderful  things  were  these  with  stiff  board  or  steel  placed 
in  the  front  and  which  we  are  told  were  used  "to  spank  the 
children  sometimes."  Here  were  the  great  old  carpet  bags 
and  queer  high  hats  of  the  early  nineteenth  century.  And 
here  we  see  so  many  of  the  fine  old  treasured  things  loved 
by  us  as  well  as  the  dear  little  grand  dames  who  first  put 
them  in  their  "dower  chests"  so  long  ago.  And  baby 
things  of  daintiest  gossamer,  and  even  dolls!  Yes,  little, 
queer,  old  dolls  and  quaint  little  wardrobes  for  them  to 
wear! 

Then  came  the  colonial  bedroom  with  its  great  four  poster 
of  curly  maple  and  hand-carved  posts,  loaned  by  Mrs. 
Willard  S.  Fuller.  But  drawn  out  from  under  that  was 
the  object  that  the  children  all  loved  best!  This  was  the 
trundle-bed,  loaned  from  the  Reuben  Noble  garret,  with 
its  hand  woven  tick,  blanket,  sheets  and  all.  So  many 
of  the  visitors  to  the  exhibit  could  remember  sleeping  in 
one  of  those  over  fifty  years  ago,  while  so  many  younger 
ones  were  so  amazed  at  it,  never  having  heard  of  such  a 
thing  as  a  bed  to  be  drawn  out  at  night  from  under  mother's 
bed  to  tuck  the  children  in.  And  then  the  set  of  steps  to 
climb  up  to  the  big  bed  piled  so  high  with  feather  beds  and 
all  the  rest!  It  seemed  as  if  nearly  every  one,  young  or 
old,  must  climb  those  steps. 

In  this  room  too  were  quaint  old  pictures  and  mirrors,  a 
fireplace,  old  bureau  and  washstands,  with  a  real  old 
willow  ware  pitcher  and  bowl,  as  well  as  a  very  quaint 
pewter  bowl  and  a  pewter  "pig"  or  hot  water  bottle, 
besides  the  copper  warming-pan  we  know  much  better. 
This  room  appealed  as  a  lovely  picture  of  the  peace  and 
rest  of  earlier  days;  much  like  the  bedrooms  at  Mt.  Vernon 
and  other  colonial  houses  preserved  for  us  to  see  today. 

29 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

Last  came  the  "museum  room"  where  were  shown  the 
relics  of  our  wars;  the  precious  documents  relating  to 
the  history  of  families  of  the  town,  etc.,  etc.  Here  were 
not  only  a  tomahawk  from  the  French  and  Indian  Wars; 
swords,  sabres  and  guns  from  the  Revolution;  spurs  from 
the  War  of  1812;  relics  from  the  Indian  Wars  of  the  West; 
swords,  haversacks,  canteens,  guns,  mess-kits,  etc.,  from 
the  Civil  War;  souvenirs  from  the  Spanish  War  in  Cuba  and 
Porto  Rico;  but  also  souvenirs  of  our  great  World  War  just 
ended.  This  room  the  boys  loved  and  specially  the  drum 
of  1812. 

A  very  remarkable  incident  happened  just  before  the 
celebration,  which  brought  to  us  one  of  the  choicest  bits  of 
the  exhibit.  This  was  an  old  spoon  unearthed  by  plough- 
ing on  the  J.  Wells  Loomis  estate,  the  site  of  the  first  settle- 
ment of  Westfield  near  the  river  on  Main  Street  by  the  first 
bridge  out  from  the  center  of  the  town.  This  spoon  had  the 
date  1670  on  the  bowl.  It  is  of  copper  foundation  with  the 
silver  plate  worn  off  in  places.  It  was  cast  in  a  mould. 
How  strange  that  just  now  this  spoon  should  come  to  light! 
It  seems  as  if  the  spirits  of  those  old  settlers  guided  the 
hands  that  found  it. 

Here  too  were  priceless  papers  from  the  Royalist  days  of 
the  Colonies;  through  the  Massachusetts  Bay  settlement 
days  of  Colonel  Pynchon  and  Elder  Chapin;  through  the 
Revolution  and  the  great  deeds  of  our  hero  General  William 
Shepard;  through  the  days  of  the  churches  and  ministers, 
doctors  and  lawyers  and  farmers  of  old  Westfield  by  deeds, 
writs,  ledgers,  letters,  etc.,  which  will  remain  as  a  most 
precious  heritage  to  all  future  descendants  of  old  Westfield 
families.  Many  were  loaned  by  Rev.  John  H.  Lockwood, 
who  is  writing  a  history  of  the  town. 

In  fact  as  we  describe  this  Loan  Exhibit  of  1919,  for  the 
25Oth  Celebration  of  the  settlement  of  the  town,  we  cannot 
but  feel  we  are  writing  this  for  the  benefit  of  those  future 

30 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  A  N  N  I  VERSA  R  Y 

generations  who  will  celebrate  the  3OOth  and  again  the  350th 
anniversary  of  this  eventful  date.  And  for  that  reason  I 
have  dared  to  test  the  patience  of  those  future  readers  by 
so  minute  a  description  of  the  articles,  heirlooms,  relics  and 
souvenirs  shown  at  this  date,  because  it  may  be  that  fifty 
and  one  hundred  years  hence  many  of  these  things  will  be 
gone  past  recall  into  the  decay  and  destruction  which  time 
most  surely  brings  to  all  things. 

We  can  only  hope  that  the  cherished  plan  that  some  of  us 
have  for  some  safe  place  to  guard  and  keep  many  of  these 
relics  will  yet  come  to  pass  for  we  realize  that  so  much  is 
already  lost. 

Today  we  think  we  can  feel  and  say  that  the  Hostess 
House  with  its  Loan  Exhibit  was  a  great  success  in  every 
way.  Four  thousand  people  registered  at  the  door  and  two 
thousand  more  at  least  were  hindered  from  registering  by 
the  crush  and  crowd  that  surged  in  at  times.  Several  times 
we  were  obliged  to  close  the  doors  to  the  public  until  the 
crowd  thinned  out. 

Another  thing  that  showed  the  appreciation  of  the  public 
was  the  request  to  keep  the  exhibit  opened  longer,  which  was 
done,  extending  the  time  to  nine  days  in  all.  Many  have 
expressed  regret  that  it  could  not  have  remained  a  perma- 
nent exhibition.  I  myself  feel  most  grateful  and  happy 
that  the  undertaking  was  so  well  furthered  and  appreciated 
by  the  people  of  Westfield  and  for  the  many  kind  and  most 
gratifying  expressions  from  so  many  people  as  to  its  merit 
and  success. 


Official  Program 

TFIELD: 


Quarter  Millennial 

ANNIVERSARY 
CELEBRATION 


UJLLJtD 

HPWQW 

Commemorating  the  250th  Anniversary 
of  the  Founding  of  the  Town  of 
Westfield,  Massachusetts. 


Aug.  3 1 ,  Sept.  1 ,  2,  3, 

1919 


Published  by  the  Executive  Committee 


Scheduled  Program 

Sunday,  Aug.  31. 

10.30  A.   M.    Special  Services  in  all  the  Churches. 

7.3Q  P.  M.  Historical  Meeting  in  the  Methodist 
Church.  Addresses  by  Frederick  H. 
Gillett,  Speaker  United  States  House  of 
Representatives,  Rev  .Lucius  H.Thayer, 
Judge  Michael  H.  Sullivan,  Edwin  W. 
Smith. 

.Special    Music  by   250th   Anniversary 
Chorus. 


Monday,  Sept.  1. 

9.30  A.  M.    Baseball  Game  at  the  Playgrounds, 
Shop  League  Teams. 
Music  by  Westfield  Band. 

4.00  P.  M.    Westfield's  Historical 


Over  500  Performers  in  the  cast 
10  Episodes. 
Short's  Orchestra,  22  men. 

Tickets  of  admission  for  sale  at  the 
grounds,  Wolfpit  Meadows. 

Three  entrances  to  the  Pageant  Grounds. 
1— End  of  Mill  Street  Trolley  Line. 
2 — Highland  Avenue  (Highland  Cars) 
3 — Junction  Western  Avenue  and  the 
Granville  Road.  Cars  leave  Park  Square 
2.52,  3.00  3,07,  3.20,  3.22,  3.37,  3.40. 

Automobiles  will  be  parked  in  Crane 
Driving  Park,  opposite  Pine  Hill  Cem- 
etery. 


33 


Scheduled  Program 


8.00  P.  M.    Band  Concert*- "Old  Home  Night". 

104th  Band,  Depot  Sq.  No.  Elm  St 
Short's  Band,  Park  Square. 

Tuesday,  Sept  2. 

Grand  Community  Picnic 

12.  M.    Parade  Park  Square  to  Picnic  Grounds 
Mill  St. 

12.30  P.  M.    Luncheon  and  Band  Concerts. 
1.30     "       Community  Singing. 
2.00     "       Folk  Dancing  and  Aesthetic  Dancing. 
2.00     "       Program  of  Sports. 
3.00     "       Championship  Baseball  game. 

(Father  Mathew  versus  All  Stars) 
Automobiles  parked  on  the  grounds, 

Community  Dancing  Carnival 

7. 80  P.  M.    on  Park  Square. 

Band  Concerts  by  the  104th  Band. 

and  Short's  Band. 

8.80  P.  M.    General  Dancing.    24  Dance  Numbers. 
9.45  P.  M.    Miss  Barker's  "Old  Colonial  Minuet". 

(All  through  Square  Traffic  closed  at  6  P.  M.) 

Wed.  Sept.  3. 

Anniversary  Military  Parade 

1.30  -P.  M.    The  Parade  forms  on  North  Elm  Street. 

2.00  P.  M.  The  line  of  March  is  through  Elm  Street 
to  Court  Street,  to  Day  Avenue,  to 
West  Silver  Street  to  Broad  to  the  Post 
Office.  No  Traffic  allowed  on  these 
streets  during  the  parade. 


34 


3P.M. 

Unveiling  of  the  Major-General  William 

Shepard  Statue 

and  Dedicatory  Exercises. 

5  P.  M.  ''Welcome  Home"  Banquet  and  Sports  in 
in  honor  of  Westfield  Service  Men  of  the 
World's  War»  at  Woronoco  Park,  Western 
Avenue. 


Free  to  the  Public 


The  Information  and  Housing  Bureau  is  located  in  the 
Town  Hall.  Open  Day  and  Evening  from  August  30th  to 
September  4th. 

The  Hostess  House,  containing  the  historical  exhibit,  is 
located  in  the  old  Strong  house,  Broad  Street,  next  to  the 
High  School.  Open  1  to  10  P.  M.,  Saturday  and  Sunday.  9 
A.  M.  to  10  P.  M.  Monday,  Tuesday  and  Wednesday. 

Westfield's  Industrial  Exhibit  is  located  on  Holland 
Avenue  facing  CourtStreet.  Open  10  A.  M.  to  10  P.  M.  from 
Saturday  through  Wednesday. 

112  Historical  sites  are  marked  by  appropriate  signs 
placed  upon  buildings  or  in  windows  by  Westfield's  Histor- 
ical Committee. 

Fort  Ethan  Allen  Machine  Gun  Cavalrymen  are  en- 
camped on  the  northeast  comer  of  the  M.  B.  Whitney  Play- 
grounds. 


35 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 


COMMITTEE  ON  HISTORICAL  ADDRESSES 

WILLIAM  T.  SMITH,  Chairman 
LEWIS  B.  ALLYN  EUGENE  DOHERTY 

DR.  JAMES  B.  ATWATER  ROBERT  CHAPIN  PARKER 

THOMAS  J.  COOLEY  REV.  ROBERT  KEATING  SMITH 

"Leaking  skies  early  Sunday  morning,  followed  by  occa- 
sional showers  even  as  late  as  noon- time,  served  not  to 
dampen  the  ardor  nor  the  enthusiasm  of  the  hundreds  of 
guests  who  arrived  for  the  celebration  period.  Nor  did 
clouded  skies  at  church  time  prove  a  deterring  feature  to 
large  congregations.  All  the  citizens,  former  residents  and 
guests  were  urged  to  attend  divine  service  at  the  churches 
of  their  choice,  or  the  churches  of  their  fathers,  and  the 
clergymen  had  been  requested  to  prepare  sermons  appro- 
priate to  the  occasion. 

"In  the  afternoon  the  sun  broke  through  the  clouds  and 
as  a  result  Westfield  was  visited  by  thousands  of  residents 
of  this  section,  traveling  both  by  trolley  and  auto.  Most  of 
these  stopped  and  became  imbued  with  the  holdiay  spirit 
occasioned  by  the  festive  appearance  of  the  town.  The 
Hostess  House  on  Broad  Street  was  the  mecca  of  large  num- 
bers, who  visited  the  Loan  Exhibit.  The  industrial  dis- 
play in  Holland  avenue  was  closed  for  the  day. 

"Family  reunions  without  number  were  recorded  and 
there  was  hardly  a  Westfield  home  that  did  not  have  some 
returned  member  to  take  part  in  the  celebration  of  the 
town's  birthday  anniversary. 

"The  arrival  of  the  Fort  Ethan  Allen  Third  Cavalry  troop 
machine  gun  company  early  in  the  day  resulted  in  many 
townspeople  visiting  the  playgrounds  to  see  Uncle  Sam's 
seasoned  fighting  men  in  a  miniature  of  what  Westfield 
witnessed  during  the  time  that  Camp  Bartlett  was  occu- 
pied in  preparing  fighting  men  for  overseas  service,  two 
years  ago. 

36 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

"In  the  evening  long  before  the  church  bells  began  to 
chime  their  welcome  and  invitation  to  the  meeting,  streams 
of  residents  and  visitors  began  to  wend  their  way  to  the 
church.  Some  time  before  the  opening  of  the  program, 
every  choice  seat  in  the  vast  assembling-place  had  been 
taken.  Had  it  been  possible  to  secure  an  auditorium  twice 
its  size  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  this  too  would  have 
been  filled.  The  auditorium  of  the  Methodist  Church  was 
selected  because  it  is  the  largest  one  in  Westfield;  but  for 
once  in  its  long  history  it  was  entirely  inadequate  to  com- 
fortably house  the  crowds  which  sought  admission.  Nearly 
two  thousand  persons  came  to  the  opening  of  the  town's 
25Oth  Anniversary  Celebration,  and  to  greet  its  four  native 
sons  who  spoke. 

"Speaker  Frederick  H.  Gillett  of  the  National  House  of 
Representatives  was  Chairman  and  spoke  to  his  fellow- 
townsmen.  Rev.  Lucius  H.  Thayer  of  Portsmouth,  New 
Hampshire,  delivered  the  historical  address,  his  subject 
being  'The  Spirit  of  Old  Westfield.'  Edwin  W.  Smith, 
secretary  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  25oth  Anniver- 
sary Celebration,  presented  the  welcome  of  the  committee 
and  the  townspeople  to  the  guests.  These  are  Westfield's 
native  sons.  Judge  Michael  H.  Sullivan  of  Boston,  Chair- 
man of  the  School  Board  in  that  city,  also  spoke,  his  subject 
being  'Westfield's  Future.'  Although  a  native  of  Gran- 
ville,  his  early  life  was  so  identified  with  the  history  of 
Westfield  as  to  make  it  proper  to  class  him  as  one  of  its 
own  sons. 

"An  appropriate  musical  program  was  given.  Mrs. 
William  B.  Reed,  of  Westfield,  sang  'Home  Sweet  Home'; 
and  the  25Oth  Anniversary  Chorus  under  the  direction  of 
Frederic  Goodwin,  with  Mrs.  Harriet  Shaffer  of  Springfield 
as  soloist,  sang  Charles  Gounod's  'Jerusalem,  O  Turn  Thee 
to  the  Lord.'  In  the  latter  part  of  the  service  it  sang  the 
25Oth  Anniversary  Hymn  which  was  written  by  Miss 

37 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

Mary  S.  Thayer,  a  sister  of  Rev.  Lucius  H.  Thayer.  The 
congregation  also  took  part  in  the  singing  of  this  hymn. 
Miss  Lena  J.  Bartlett,  the  church  organist,  gave  an  organ 
recital  previous  to  the  opening  of  the  meeting  and  again 
at  its  close.  Rev.  William  S.  Ayres  of  the  Baptist  Church 
offered  the  invocation,  following  which  the  chorus  sang 
Sir  John  Stainer's  composition  'Sevenfold  Amen.'  Rev. 
Conrad  Hooker,  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Church,  pro- 
nounced the  benediction." — The  Springfield  Republican. 


Lucius  H.  Thayer,  D.  D.  Edwin  VV.  Smith 

Hon.  Frederick  H.  Gillett,  Speaker  of  the  National  House  of  Representatives 
Rev.  William  S.  Ayres  Judge  Michael  H.  Sullivan 

Speakers  at  Historical  Meeting 


1BB9  1910 


Hf  tstnnral 

rommpmorating  tlje 

250tlj 

of  %  tnrorpor attnn 
nf  the  town  of 


250tij 


We  have  read  the  valiant  story  of  the  founders  of  the  land, 
For  their  home  the  trackless  forest,  with  fierce  foes  on  every  hand, 
Men  and  women  of  stern  fibre,  here  for  truth  and  God  to  stand, 
For  faith  was  marching  on. 

We  have  seen  their  children's  children  in  their  conflict  over  fate, 
High  of  heart  and  strong  of  purpose,  rise  unconquered  and  elate, 
Having  won  their  independence,  and  in  justice  reared  a  state, 
For  right  was  marching  on. 

Here  have  lived  the  many  thousands,  men  of  brawn  and  men  of  brain, 
Giving  faithful,  loyal  service,  recking  little  toil  and  strain, 
So  they  wrought  some  goodly  labor,  so  their  town  and  state  made  gain, 
For  hope  was  marching  on. 

We  have  known  the  awful  sorrow  of  a  nation  crucified, 
We  have  thrilled  with  holy  fervor  o'er  its  heroes  who  have  died, 
We  have  seen  the  gates  of  freedom,  here  forever  opened  wide, 
For  truth  was  marching  on. 

We  have  lived  thro'  days  of  anguish,  while  lads'  souls  were  passing  on, 
All  aflame  with  love  and  ardor,  that  a  world  might  be  new  born, 
They  the  crown  of  all  our  service,  in  the  century's  glad  morn, 
When  peace  is  marching  on. 

And  we  sing  the  wondrous  vision  of  the  days  that  are  to  be, 
When  the  angel  of  His  presence  hovers  over  land  and  sea, 
And  all  men  shall  live  as  brothers,  ruled  by  love  and  equity, 
For  God  is  marching  on. 

1919  Mary  S.  Thayer 


40 


Historical  jffleettng 

HON.  FREDERICK  H.  CILLETT, 
Speaker  of  the  National  House  of  Representation,  Chairman 

Organ  Prelude,  "Allegro  Appassionato," 

(First  Movement  5th  Sonata)  Alexandre  Guilmanl 

LENA  J.  BARTLETT 

Anthem,  "Jerusalem  !     0  Turn  Thee  to  the  Lord," 

(from  Gallia)  Charles  Gounod 

250th  ANNIVERSARY  CHORUS 
HARRIET  SHAFFER.  Soprano  Soloist 

Invocation 

REV.  WILLIAM  S.  AYRES 

Response,  "Seven-fold  Amen,"  Sir  John  Stainer 

250th  ANNIVERSARY  CHORUS 

Address  of  Welcome 

EDWIN  W.  SMITH 

Address 

HON.  FREDERICK  H.  GILLETT 

"Home,  Sweet  Home,"  Sir  Henry  R.  Bishop 

ERNESTINE  GAUTHIER  REED 

Historical  Address 

REV.  LUCIUS  H.  THAYER,  D.  D. 

250th  Anniversary  Hymn  Mary  S.  Thayer 

250th  ANNIVERSARY  CHORUS  AND  AUDIENCE 

Address 

JUDGE  M.  H.  SULLIVAN 

Organ  Postlude,  "Hallelujah  Chorus," 

(from  the  Messiah)    Georg  Friedrich  Handel 

LENA  J.  BARTLETT 

Benediction 

REV.  CONRAD  HOOKER 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

INVOCATION 
REV.  WILLIAM  S.  AYRES 

We  thank  Thee  with  great  rejoicing,  O  God!  thanking 
Thee  for  the  large  place  in  which  Thou  hast  set  us.  We 
thank  Thee  for  our  beautiful  homes,  for  the  spirit  of  frater- 
nity which  prevails  in  our  midst.  We  thank  Thee  for  all 
the  prosperity  of  these  days.  And  we  thank  Thee  that 
even  in  the  midst  of  bitterness  and  grief  we  have  come  to 
know  how  wondrously  Thou  art  verifying  Thy  kindness  in 
the  lives  of  Thy  children. 

We  thank  Thee  for  the  hardy  race  who  have  gone  before 
us.  Do  Thou  grant  that  the  memory  of  all  these  things 
that  are  gone  may  idealize  the  upbuilding  of  our  lives  in  all 
that  is  strong  and  noble  and  good.  May  it  be  our  joy  more 
and  more  to  try  to  found  our  community  life  upon  those 
great  principles  of  righteousness  and  fraternity  which  shall 
enable  us  to  realize  something  more  of  the  blessedness  of 
the  Kindgom  of  God  on  earth. 

So  when  we  turn  to  Thee  this  evening,  in  the  midst  of  our 
rejoicing,  with  deep  gratitude  for  the  blessings  of  the  days 
that  are  gone,  that  through  these  things  we  may  have  a 
clearer  vision  of  the  better  life  into  which  still  Thou  would 
lead  us,  let  Thy  serenity  rest  upon  our  community,  make 
Thee  more  and  more  dear  to  us,  that  we  have  come  to 
realize  what  it  has  meant  in  all  the  years  that  are  gone,  in 
the  training  of  our  own  lives  and  the  fitting  of  ourselves  for 
the  fullest  realization  of  the  divine  purpose  among  men. 

We  ask  these  things  in  Jesus'  name.     Amen. 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME 
EDWIN  W.  SMITH 

Lovers  of  Westfield  and  Every  Friend,  within  or  without  alike, 
we  give  you  greeting: 

It  is  not  possible  to  translate  into  human  speech  the 
voice  of  welcome,  nor  to  explain  the  attachment  of  human- 
ity for  a  particular  spot  of  the  earth.  Your  welcome  was 
being  made  ready  for  you  when  first  these  mountains 
which  we  love  and  cherish  were  brought  forth  and  when 
the  streams  first  made  glad  the  valley.  For  the  hand  of 
Nature  had  much  to  do  in  moulding  the  character  and 
lives  of  the  people  that  have  lived  here.  Your  welcome  is 
found  in  the  treasured  memories  of  the  past,  in  the  associa- 
tions so  dear  to  your  heart,  and  the  influences  since  removed. 

We  have  not  summoned  you  here  for  joy  alone,  nor  to 
simply  mark  the  passing  of  time,  but  we  have  gathered  you 
here  in  order  that  we  might  express  to  you  our  heartfelt 
gratitude  for  all  that  you  have  done  to  make  the  Westfield 
of  today.  For  we  are  the  happy  inheritors  of  all  the  past. 
And  rather  than  to  the  years  that  have  gone  we  ask  you 
to  join  with  us  in  doing  honor  to  the  character,  and  to  the 
conditions  that  produced  that  character,  that  made  the 
Westfield  men  and  Westfield  women. 

Your  welcome  will  be  what  you  bring  here  in  your  own 
hearts.  To  that  we  will  try  to  add  as  hearty  a  handclasp 
and  as  warm  a  heart  as  was  ever  extended  to  a  home- 
returning  people. 

Our  forefathers  in  the  fifty  years  that  have  passed  since 
our  last  gathering  built  so  securely  and  well  that  thousands 
have  come  from  distant  shores  to  join  us  and  to  share  our 
civilization  with  us.  We  trust  that  you  will  find  in  return- 
ing home  that  in  our  citizenship  with  them  you  perceive 
the  best  that  is  in  them,  and  that  you  have  remained  con- 

43 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

slant  to  something  of  the  inheritance  of  the  idealism  which 
is  New  England.  If  you  have  not  done  this  you  have  not 
kept  the  faith.  But  we  believe  you  have  kept  the  faith, 
and  that  before  you  leave  us,  like  the  watch  of  old,  you 
will  cry  "All  is  well!" 

Our  summons  to  you  went  out  in  love  for  Westfield  and 
all  the  things  that  have  ever  been  Westfield,  and  in  the 
loyalty  of  your  affection  have  you  responded.  Let  us, 
then,  in  the  light  of  the  fire  kindled  by  our  common  love 
make  glad. 

Welcome,  friends!     A  thousand  times  welcome! 

Fifty  years  ago,  at  the  bicentennial  celebration,  an 
honored  and  eminent  citizen  of  the  town  delivered  an 
address  full  of  the  gracious  sentiment  that  expressed  his 
mind  and  his  heart  toward  his  fellowmen.  We  of  a  later 
generation  have  seen  that  attitude  expressed  in  a  descend- 
ant resident  among  us  in  works  of  good.  Other  gifts  had 
Edward  Bates  Gillett  than  that  of  eloquence.  One  of 
those  gifts  has  given  a  life  of  service  to  the  republic.  To 
few  sons  of  Westfield  is  it  given  to  occupy  the  seats  of  the 
mighty.  Why  I  know  not,  unless  it  is  that  the  supply 
exceeds  the  demand.  But  when  they  do  achieve  the 
heights  Westfield  loves  to  honor  them. 

Your  chairman  of  the  evening,  the  Honorable  Frederick 
H.  Gillett. 


44 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

ADDRESS 
HON.  FREDERICK  H.  GILLETT 

Speaker  of  National  House  of  Representatives 

I  thank  you  my  friends  for  this  cordial  greeting  and  I 
assure  you  it  is  a  great  pleasure  to  be  with  you  here  tonight. 

It  is  very  difficult  for  me  to  leave  Washington  nowadays, 
and  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  been  home  since  the  session 
opened  in  May,  but  I  did  not  feel  that  I  could  miss  this 
celebration.  On  the  similar  occasion  fifty  years  ago  my 
grandfather  was  president  of  the  day  and  my  father  deliv- 
ered the  address  of  welcome,  and  although  I  have  not  lived 
here  for  many  years  it  has  always  been  home  to  me,  and 
tenderer  ties  draw  me  to  it  than  to  any  other  place. 

I  think  the  familiar  lines  of  Hood  are  appropriate: 

I  remember,  I  remember  the  house  where  I  was  born, 
The  little  window  where  the  sun  came  peeping  in  at  morn, 

for  as  I  stand  here  if  that  window  in  front  of  me  was  plain 
glass  I  could  look  across  the  street  and  see  the  window  of 
the  room  where  I  was  born,  and  this  whole  area  just  about 
us  is  impressed  on  my  memory  probably  as  indelibly  as  any 
spot  on  the  globe.  In  front  of  the  academy  where  the  statue 
of  General  Shepard  is  to  be  dedicated  was  the  scene  of  my 
schoolboy  sports.  So  little  traveled  was  Broad  Street  in 
those  days  that  we  considered  that  football  and  baseball 
had  the  first  right  and  that  every  passing  team  was  an 
unjustifiable  intruder  upon  our  preserves.  Never,  I  believe, 
was  there  a  happier  boyhood  than  I  passed  in  the  country 
village  which  Westfield  then  was,  and  seldom,  I  believe, 
have  there  been  healthier  and  wholesomer  ones. 

A  boyhood  in  a  New  England  town  was  then  the  purest 
education  in  democracy.  There  was  an  absolute  democratic 
equality,  without  a  thought  or  suspicion  of  difference  be- 
cause of  wealth  or  occupation.  The  qualities  of  the  boy 

45 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

himself  were  the  only  elements  of  popularity  or  leadership. 
I  think  all  of  us,  as  we  advance  in  life,  as  we  see  the  future 
growing  shorter  and  the  past  stretching  out  longer  behind 
us,  indulge  more  and  more  in  retrospect  and  turn  back  far 
more  often  and  more  fondly  to  the  childhood  days  and  to 
the  old  home.  The  changes  which  I  see  in  the  Westfield  of 
today  are  only  symptomatic  of  the  changes  which  have 
swept  over  all  America.  In  the  last  fifty  years  there  has 
been  more  change  in  the  methods  of  life  than  have  occurred 
in  a  thousand  years  before,  except  perhaps  for  the  introduc- 
tion of  steam.  The  development  of  electricity  for  street 
cars,  for  light,  for  power,  the  telephone,  the  typewriter, 
the  automobile,  all  these  have  so  revolutionized  life  that  we 
seem  to  be  living  in  an  entirely  different  age. 

We  are  wont  to  complain  of  present  conditions.  It  is 
human  nature  never  to  be  contented  and  indeed  I  think 
it  is  fortunate  that  we  are  so  constituted,  because  it  is  that 
spirit  of  discontent  which  makes  us  ever  strive  for  some- 
thing better  and  is  a  perpetual  promoter  of  progress.  But 
the  inventions  of  this  last  century  and  the  mastery  which 
man  has  achieved  over  Nature  have  put  in  the  hands  of 
every  citizen  amazing  possibilities.  Our  mechanic  of  to- 
day, who  lives  in  the  ordinary  tenement  house,  has  more 
comforts,  conveniences  and  luxuries  in  his  daily  life  than 
Queen  Elizabeth,  with  all  her  wealth  and  power,  could 
command. 

And  so,  while  we  are  discontented,  let  us  occasionally 
think  of  what  we  have  to  be  happy  over.  I  suspect  that 
any  of  the  residents  of  the  Westfield  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago,  or  a  hundred  years  ago,  or  fifty  years  ago,  if 
they  could  only  come  back  today  and  see  it  in  its  decorated 
loveliness,  its  fine  buildings,  its  commodious  residences,  its 
broad  and  trim  streets  and  lawns,  they  would  be  amazed 
and  astounded  and  wonder  what  sons  of  theirs  had  created 
such  a  magnificent  domain.  Certainly,  as  we  look  at  West- 

46 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

field  today  any  native  or  any  stranger  may  well  feel  proud 
that  it  seems  to  be  representative  of  the  very  highest  type 
of  the  prosperous  progressive  modern  town. 

But  after  all  the  supreme  test  of  our  achievements  is 
their  effect  on  man  himself.  Have  all  these  triumphs  over 
Nature  improved  our  race?  Is  the  environment  of  West- 
field  today  developing  a  better  character  of  citizen  than  it 
did  at  our  last  anniversary  fifty  years  ago?  We  are  bigger, 
the  appearance  of  our  streets  and  buildings  and  grounds  is 
much  finer,  greater  luxury  is  evident,  but  is  the  atmosphere 
better  for  the  upbuilding  of  character? 

Ill  fares  the  land  to  hastening  ills  a  prey, 
Where  wealth  accumulates  and  men  decay, 

and  I  confess  that  I  am  not  sure,  despite  all  of  which  we 
can  justly  boast,  that  when  we  come  to  the  core  of  our  prob- 
lems, the  upbuilding  of  a  better  race,  how  much  our  country 
has  advanced. 

The  old  New  England  town  had  much  that  was  unlovely 
and  yet  its  very  poverty  and  the  struggle  and  self-denial 
which  that  compelled  developed  sturdy  character.  It  was 
the  life  of  the  small  town  that  naturally  stimulated  those 
qualities  which  have  made  the  greatness  of  America — self- 
reliance,  enterprise,  equality  and  respect  for  law — and  as  a 
country  grows  in  population  and  wealth,  produces  large  and 
congested  cities,  new  problems  arise  which  are  far  more 
difficult  than  the  simple  hardships  of  country  life. 

Those  are  the  problems  which  our  country  is  facing  today. 
Just  now  not  only  our  country  but  the  whole  world  is  in  a 
state  of  ferment.  This  greatest  war  of  history  has  so  dis- 
jointed production  and  stimulated  special  activities  that  it 
has  left  industry  unbalanced  and  we  are  striving  now  to  at- 
tain an  equilibrium.  The  process  must  necessarily  cause 
great  inequalities  and  many  just  complaints  and  hardships. 
The  enormous  cost  of  living  bears  hard  on  every  one,  and 
yet  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  those  who  suffer  most  have 

47 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

not  been  loudest  in  their  complaints.  It  is  the  salaried 
men,  the  men  whose  regular  but  small  allowances  have  not 
been  raised  in  proportion  to  the  rest  of  the  country,  who 
I  believe  have  the  justest  grievance.  There  never  was  a 
time  when  a  workman  was  so  certain  of  employment  or  at 
wages  so  high,  compared  with  his  living  cost,  as  today.  Of 
course  there  are  exceptions,  but  that  is  the  rule.  Today 
any  man  who  is  industrious  and  reliable  can  be  assured  of 
remunerative  employment.  But  the  unrest  occasioned  by 
our  extraordinary  conditions,  the  temporary  shortage  of 
labor,  and  the  selfish  profiteering  by  every  class  have  con- 
stituted a  consistently  increasing  occasion  for  alarm.  It 
may  be  that  only  by  a  general  crash,  which  will  make  the 
innocent  and  the  guilty  alike  suffer  the  pangs  of  loss  and 
unemployment,  will  we  be  awakened  to  the  instability  of 
our  present  condition.  It  will  be  suicidal  and  cruel  if  we  do 
not  develop  now  the  self  restraint  to  cure  gradually  our 
temporary  ailments  instead  of  letting  them  bring  us  to  a 
sudden  general  disaster  in  which  we  all  must  suffer  and  from 
which  we  must  emerge  slowly  by  building  up  from  the 
bottom  again  the  industrial  structure  which  we  allow  to  be 
demolished. 

It  is,  I  believe,  by  exercising  the  dominant  spirit  of  the 
old  New  England  town  that  our  present  threatening  condi- 
tion can  be  remedied.  Thrift  and  self-denial,  work  and 
saving,  is  what  our  country  needs,  and  that  is  what  our 
hard-headed,  determined,  sometimes  unattractive  nation- 
builders  developed.  They  could  sacrifice  the  pleasure  of 
the  moment  for  permanent  future  enjoyment.  It  is  such 
self-denial  that  builds  character — it  is  that  which  we  need 
today.  I  believe  that  by  harking  back  to  the  old  town 
spirit  of  Westfield  and  the  other  towns  like  it,  which  not 
only  developed  themselves  but  sent  out  to  the  rest  of  the 
country  a  strong  tide  of  enterprising,  thrifty  life,  we  shall 
learn  a  lesson.  The  people,  a  dangerous  number  of  the 
people,  are  today  living  a  life  of  excitement  and  pleasure,  of 

48 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

restlessness  and  extravagance.  And  this  is  abnormal  living 
and  abnormal  thinking.  It  is  far  from  the  homely  New 
England  methods  of  life  and  of  thought  which  first  made 
America.  We  must  go  back  to  those  methods. 

Those  men  looked  life  as  it  was  in  the  face  and  found  it 
good.  They  respected  themselves  and  each  other  and  their 
fellowmen,  and  were  in  turn  respected.  They  owned  their 
houses  and  there  made  homes  for  their  families.  With 
no  prospect  of  immediate  wealth,  their  point  of  view  was  not 
embittered  by  the  fact,  and  they  watched  their  savings 
accounts  grow  with  pride  and  satisfaction.  They  were  not 
ashamed  of  their  work,  knowing  it  to  be  a  useful  contribu- 
tion to  society.  They  were  democratic  in  their  point  of 
view,  took  a  keen  and  intelligent  interest  in  politics  and 
lived  the  life  of  free  men  to  whom  that  condition  meant  high 
responsibility  fully  met. 

The  women  folk,  wives  of  these  men,  met  life  with  no  less 
healthy  a  point  of  view.  They  took  the  home  which 
their  husbands'  earning  capacity  builded  for  them  and  put 
their  minds  and  their  hearts  into  the  problem  of  managing 
it  efficiently.  Theirs  was  the  task  of  finding  contentment  in 
what  was  theirs  and  they  found  it.  Their  happiness  lay  in 
their  healthy  children,  in  their  pleasant  homes  and  in  the 
consciousness  that  they  were  aiding  their  men  folk  in  the 
work  that  was  theirs. 

Together  such  a  couple  lived  in  happiness.  They  fur- 
nished and  insisted  upon  education  for  their  children  which 
would  enable  them  to  win  any  success  their  indi- 
vidual ability  might  make  possible.  Satisfied  with  their 
estate,  peace  was  in  their  hearts  instead  of  restlessness. 
Their  ambitions  were  conceived  in  reason  and  they  pursued 
them  with  a  healthy  appreciation  of  the  fact  that  steady 
and  sober  methods  are  in  the  end  more  effective  than  rash 
and  spectacular  gambles. 

This  was  New  England  town  life — not  so  many  years  ago. 
Today  we  see  a  different  picture  throughout  the  nation. 

4  49 


WESTFJELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

We  see  men  clamoring  for  the  immediate  attainment  of 
extravagant  ambitions — restless  and  discontented  in  the 
estate  which  is  theirs.  We  see  their  women  aggravating 
the  condition  by  seeking  costly  and  ephemeral  excitement 
under  the  misconception  that  they  constitute  the  source  of 
true  happiness.  We  see  the  boys  and  girls  of  today  emulat- 
ing the  mental  attitude  of  their  parents  toward  life,  think- 
ing far  more  of  the  "movies,"  the  soda  fountain,  the  dances 
and  so  forth,  than  of  how  they  may  develop  sound  minds 
and  healthy  bodies  for  the  life  that  lies  ahead  of  them. 

I  shall  not  attempt  to  analyze  the  whys  and  wherefores 
of  this  condition  today.  It  is  sufficient  that  it  is  here. 
Any  thinking  man  or  woman  is  conscious  of  its  presence. 
The  citizens  of  the  land  must  discard  the  abnormal  for  the 
normal.  And  the  old  ideas,  the  ideas  that  we  of  New  Eng- 
land are  proud  to  call  our  own,  the  ideas  of  soberness  and 
thrift,  are  the  ones  that  will  see  the  nation  through  the 
crisis  of  the  present  to  a  secure  and  prosperous  future. 

How  shall  we  reduce  the  cost  of  living  is  the  question  on 
everyone's  lips  today.  There  is  but  one  way  in  my  opinion, 
the  old  New  England  way,  produce  more  and  save  more, 
increase  supply  and  you  will  reduce  the  price.  But  today 
the  tendency  is  all  in  the  contrary  direction.  Every  one 
wants  to  work  less  hours — to  reduce  his  production  but  to 
increase  his  expenditure  and  live  better.  The  war  has  be- 
gotten great  extravagances  both  in  expenditure  and  expec- 
tation. Until  the  world's  stock  is  again  made  good  every 
nation  ought  to  economize,  and  the  nation  can  only  do  it 
through  its  individual  citizens.  We  ought  all  to  pare  our 
expenses  and  stimulate  our  productive  energies,  be  stingy 
in  our  living  but  liberal  in  our  work.  That  is  what  this 
emergency  demands,  that  is  the  only  way  to  meet  the  world 
problem  that  is  staggering  us.  If  we  will  all  take  a  lesson 
today  from  the  old  New  England  town  like  Westfield,  it 
will  invigorate  our  national  life  and  promote  our  national 
safety. 

50 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

THE   SPIRIT   OF   OLD   WESTFIELD 

THE  STORY  OF  A  DEMOCRATIC  COMMUNITY 

REV.  Lucius  H.  THAYER,  D.D. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Sons  and  Daughters  of  Westfield,  born  of  the 
old  stock  or  by  spiritual  adoption  equals  of  those  to  the 
manor  born: 

We  are  gathered  here  with  a  common  consciousness  of  a 
history  covering  two  hundred  and  fifty  years.  There  is 
central  in  it  a  great  purpose,  tenaciously  held  and  honor- 
ably developed.  It  is  characterized  by  a  spirit  which  that 
purpose  evoked.  It  is  marked  by  the  homely  and  interest- 
ing features  of  the  changing  customs  of  eight  generations. 
It  is  replete  with  entertaining  and  revealing  incident.  It 
has  to  do  with  the  careers  of  many  men  and  women  whose 
names  ought  to  be  recited  and  whose  stories  might  well 
be  told.  It  rests  down  upon  the  daily  fidelities  and  the 
humble  services  of  a  great  body  of  simple  folk  whose  names 
are  forgotten  and  who  have  left  no  memorial.  It  is  colored 
by  the  hopes  and  fears,  the  joys  and  sorrows,  the  triumphs 
and  defeats,  the  aspirations  and  failures,  the  sins  and 
repentances  of  men  and  women  of  like  passions  with  our- 
selves. It  is  the  narrative  of  one  countryside  but  it  may 
not  be  understood  or  interpreted  apart  from  the  great 
movements  of  world  history. 

I  am  conscious  as  are  you  of  the  scope  and  interest  of  the 
field  that  opens  before  us  and,  as  I  face  the  summons  of  this 
hour,  I  recall  the  story  of  a  convert  of  John  Eliot  in  the  early 
days  of  New  England  who,  when  asked  to  give  his  religious 
experience,  said,  "I  am  only  a  poor  Indian.  I  know  but 
little  and  therefore  I  will  say  but  little." 

And  indeed  but  little  of  the  abundant  story  need  be  told. 

51 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

The  significant  material,  laboriously  gathered  by  the  early 
historians,  has  been  so  set  forth  in  detail  in  recent  newspaper 
articles  and  in  the  official  program  that  he  who  runs  may 
read.  For  those  who  would  be  more  fully  informed  there 
are  available  the  classic  address  of  my  predecessor,  William 
G.  Bates,  the  competent  sketch  of  James  C.  Greenough,  the 
invaluable  papers  of  that  devoted  and  painstaking  son  of 
Westfield,  Louis  M.  Dewey,  and  we  are  promised  soon  the 
full  and  connected  history  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  John  H. 
Lockwood.  We  shall  leave  then  to  the  historians  their 
work  and  their  meed  of  praise,  and  rehearsing  some  features 
of  the  long  story,  hope  to  lay  hold  upon  the  purpose  that 
underlies  it  and  to  receive  a  portion  of  the  spirit  that  ani- 
mates it. 

This  preliminary  gathering  and  the  well  planned  events 
of  the  days  to  follow  are  justified  by  four  ancient  records 
from  which  we  quote.  At  a  meeting  at  Woronoco,  January 
21,  1668,  it  was: 

"Voted,  that  James  Cornish,  George  Phelps,  Thomas  Dewey  and  Tho. 
Noble  shall  goe  to  Springfield  the  first  Tuesday  in  February  next,  at  a 
towne  meeting,  to  propound  to  the  town  for  the  settlement  of  our  place  and 
affayres,  ...  to  lay  out  the  bounds  granted  us  by  the  Honor'd 
Gen'll  Court,  and  to  allow  us  to  be  a  township  of  ourselves  and  signify  the 
same  to  the  honored  Genl.  Court." 

"Springfield  att  a  Towne  meeting  ffeb.  2nd  1668.  Upon  ye  motion  of 
ye  inhabitants  at  Woronoco  This  Town  being  willing  to  promote  and 
further  their  desire  to  be  a  township  of  theirselves,  .  .  .  Deleave 
the  Inhabitants  there  to  themselves  to  manage  their  own  matters  .  .  . 
and  we  hope  the  Corte  will  cause  to  order  them  to  be  a  Township  and  that 
they  through  the  favor  of  God  may  grow  up  into  a  comfortable  society,  and 
bee  a  happy  neighborhood  to  us  and  Our  f friends  and  Theires." 

From  the  records  of  the  General  Court  28  May,  1669: 

"There  being  a  motion  made  to  this  Court  in  ye  behalfe  of  ye  inhabitants 
at  Woronake  belonging  to  Springfield,  that  they  be  a  township  of  ymselves: 
Springfield  being  willing  theretoe  .  .  .  This  Court  (therefore)  Doth 
hereby  grant  them  to  be  a  Township,  and  allows  them  all  Privileges  ac- 

52 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

cording  as  other  townes  have  in  the  Collony,  And  that  Sd  Towne  be  called 
Westfield." 

From  a  deed  of  3Oth  June,  1669,  witnessed  by  Wollump 
and  Wollamunt,  we  read : 

"These  preasants  testify  that  Alquat  the  Indian  Sachem  of  Waranoake 
and  pochasuck  for  and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  forty  Pounds  .  .  . 
fully  satisfied  and  contented  hath  Given,  Granted,  Bargained  and  sold 
.  .  .  unto  Capt.  Aron  Cooke,  Mr.  James  Cornish,  Mr.  Joseph  Whiting, 
George  Phelps,  Tho.  Noble,  David  Ashley,  John  Roote,  of  Westfield,  alias 
Warranoke,  For  themselves  and  ye  Present  Inhabitants  of  ye  aforesaid 
Place  or  Plantation  and  theire  successors  and  assignes  From  time  to  time 
and  unto  their  hires  forever," 

tracts  of  land  fully  described  and  including  the  major  part 
and  central  portion  of  the  present  town. 

Thus  by  the  grace  of  Springfield,  by  authority  of  the  Gen- 
eral Court  and  by  the  payment  of  forty  pounds  Westfield 
became  a  town. 

It  was  an  orderly  and  honorable  beginning,  but  not  the 
good- will  of  neighbors,  or  the  purchase  of  land,  or  even 
the  act  of  a  General  Court  could  constitute  a  town  or 
assure  the  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  of  worthy  com- 
munity life  which  we  recall  today.  The  future  was  in  the 
hands  of  a  little  group  of  men  and  women  whose  courage, 
whose  patience,  whose  fortitude,  whose  cheerful  labor  and 
unremitting  toil,  whose  prudence  and  sense  of  justice, 
whose  mutual  good-will  and  trust  in  God  would  alone 
enable  them  to  endure  the  difficulties,  dangers  and  pri- 
vations necessary  to  subdue  nature  to  the  uses  of  civiliza- 
tion, to  meet  the  assaults  of  a  savage  life  challenged  to  a 
death  struggle,  and,  in  spite  of  natural  self-seeking  and 
inexperience  to  accommodate  themselves  to  each  other, 
and  in  parts  remote  from  constituted  authority  to  lay  the 
foundations  and  develop  the  institutions  of  a  just  and 
authoritative  civic  order. 

But  Westfield's  future  was  secure  and  its  essential  char- 

53 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

acteristics  guaranteed  because  they  were  inherent  in  a  pur- 
pose that  so  possessed  its  founders  that  it  had  led  them 
forth  from  fair  countrysides  and  well-loved  hearthstones 
beyond  the  sea.  It  was  the  very  purpose  that  declared  itself 
in  the  cabin  of  the  Mayflower,  and  brought  out  of  England 
the  great  Puritan  migration,  made  up  of  sturdy  middle- 
class  folk,  shepherded  by  godly  university  men,  for  whom 
England,  then,  had  no  place.  These  people  settled  the  Bay 
Colony,  established  themselves  along  the  Connecticut 
River,  and  in  time,  some  by  the  way  of  Dorchester,  some 
by  the  way  of  Windsor,  some  by  the  way  of  Springfield 
and  Northampton  came  to  this  pleasant  valley.  Here, 
their  wanderings  over,  they  well  endured  the  tests  to  which 
their  purpose  subjected  them,  building  and  occupying  as 
free  men,  fearing  none  but  the  God  who  spoke  to  them  in 
their  own  consciences  and  vindicating  their  right  to  be 
named  among  those  who  were  the  fore-runners  of  a  new 
day.  That  purpose,  never  fully  apprehended,  often  uncer- 
tainly held,  sometimes  disowned,  yet  really  dominated 
these  Westfield  men  in  common  with  the  other  settlers  of 
New  England.  That  purpose  was  central  in  their  spiritual 
experience.  It  determined  the  form  of  their  ecclesiastical 
life  and  the  expression  of  their  religious  feeling.  It  dis- 
closed itself  more  and  more  in  the  form  and  quality  of  their 
citizenship.  For  this  purpose  had  been  awakened  by  the 
principle  of  liberty,  growing  strong  in  the  seventeenth 
century.  It  involved  the  determination  to  realize 
the  fact  that  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal.  It  was  noth- 
ing other  than  the  urge  of  Democracy  that  was  at  the 
heart  of  this  purpose.  It  was  the  glory  of  these  men  that 
they  felt  the  urge,  and  their  greatness  that,  according  to 
their  light  and  for  the  purposes  of  their  day,  they  were 
obedient  to  it. 


54 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


A  HABITATION  AND  A  NAME 

When  in  1669  Westfield  became  a  habitation  and  a 
name,  it  was  made  up  of  three  small  settlements  in  dis- 
tinct localities.  The  oldest  was  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river  in  the  region  of  Union  Street.  It  was  called  the 
"Cellar  Side,"  for  here  the  contour  of  the  land  enabled 
the  settlers  to  make  their  houses  larger  and  more  snug 
for  the  winter  by  excavations  in  the  earth.  Here  in  1663 
George  Saxton,  and  Walter  Lee  of  Northampton  bought 
land  of  one  Ensign  Cooper  who  had  received  a  grant  in 
1658 ;  and  here  in  1664  JohnSackett  of  Northampton  bought 
the  second  early  grant,  farther  east,  of  Deacon  Samuel 
Chapin.  The  oldest  highway,  that  from  Northampton  to 
Windsor,  laid  out  in  1662,  ran  through  this  first  settlement, 
connecting  it  with  the  so-called  "South  Side,"  where  had 
been  a  trading  house  in  1639,  which  had  involved  Massa- 
chusetts and  Connecticut  in  a  contention  as  to  jurisdiction. 
This  was  the  Little  River  District  and  here  in  1668  Captain 
Aaron  Cook  had  opened  the  first  tavern,  having  for  neigh- 
bors James  Cornish,  Thomas  Dewey,  John  Osborne  and 
John  Ingersoll.  The  third  locality,  shut  off  from  the 
main  route  of  travel  and  enclosed  by  the  meeting  of  the 
waters,  was  called  the  "Fort  Side."  Settlers  had  been 
established  here  for  a  few  years,  dwelling  in  home  lots  near 
together.  In  1668  the  meadow  land,  through  which  the 
street  of  that  name  runs,  and  the  two  divisions  of  the  plow 
land  extending  away  to  the  river  and  up  to  Squawfield, 
were  allotted  to  some  thirteen  men.  The  Fort  Side  grew 
in  importance  and  became  the  center  of  the  town  life. 
Here,  near  the  old  Indian  fort,  was  built  the  meeting-house 
in  1672,  and  the  schoolhouse  hard  by  in  1700.  On  the 
same  north  side  of  the  Great  Street  Joseph  Whiting  had 
opened  the  first  store,  selling  out  his  holdings  in  1677  to 
John  Moseley  of  Windsor.  It  was  during  this  year  that  the 

55 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

increased  activity  of  the  Indians  brought  the  order  for 
"Compact  Dwelling."  The  home  lots  were  divided  in  a 
spirit  of  co-operation,  and  except  two  households  in  forted 
houses,  Westfield  was  for  a  period  an  enclosed  village,  some 
two  miles  in  circumference,  protected  by  the  rivers  and  a 
high  palisade. 

In  these  days  when  the  old  Indian  names  are  much  in 
vogue,  it  at  first  seems  strange  that  the  designation  Woro- 
noco,  spelled  in  various  ways  in  old  documents,  was  not 
given  to  this  town.  Woronoco  flows  sonorously  from  the 
lips.  It  has  dignity  and  was  significant  for  this  fertile  val- 
ley. But  in  common  with  all  the  early  settlers,  our  fathers 
had  no  liking  for  the  Indian  vocabulary  of  names,  and 
seemed  determined  to  christen  the  lands  converted  to  the 
uses  of  a  new  civilization  in  good  Anglo-Saxon  terms.  In  a 
record  of  August  n,  1668,  the  town  was  called  "Stream- 
field,"  a  natural  and  pleasing  designation  for  the  region  of 
two  rivers,  of  Tomhammuck  stream  that  turned  the  early 
mills,  and  of  the  town  brooks  that  then  meandered  through 
the  meadows  or  seemed  to  tarry  in  the  sluggish  spruce 
swamps.  The  name  Westfield  is  in  itself  prosaic  enough. 
It  obviously  designated  a  settlement  west  of  Springfield 
and  of  the  meeting  place  of  the  General  Court;  but  with 
this  fact  was  connected  another  fact  that  gives  to  the  name 
a  deeper  significance  and  invests  it  with  real  dignity.  For 
fifty-three  years  this  town  was  the  frontier  of  civilization  in 
the  old  Bay  Colony.  The  first  inhabitants  were  not  only 
pioneers  but  frontiersmen  in  the  name  of  liberty.  The 
men  and  women  of  Westfield  were  the  responsible  keepers  of 
the  outposts  of  civilization  both  against  the  Indians,  those 
outward  foes  who  threatened  the  whole  enterprise  and 
against  those  inward  powers  of  darkness  which  ever  assail 
the  souls  who  under  discouraging  conditions  seek  noble 
ends. 


THE  PERIOD  OF  TESTING 

During  the  period  of  King  Phillip's  War  and  of  the  Indian 
raids  that  followed,  the  people  of  Westfield  gave  a  good 
account  of  themselves,  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  in 
actual  loss  of  life  and  property  the  settlement  suffered  little 
in  comparison  with  others.  When  we  read  the  records  and 
realize  the  dangers  that  threatened,  we  accept  reverently 
the  judgment  of  the  first  pastor  who  records  that  "this 
handful  was  sorely  pressed  yet  sovereignly  preserved." 
The  hindrance  to  the  growth  of  Westfield  in  this  period  is 
evident.  Settlers  were  not  likely  to  flock  to  the  frontier, 
and  the  natural  expansion  of  the  town's  life  was  impossible 
to  men  who  sowed  and  reaped  under  fire.  The  anxious 
days  of  men,  women  and  children,  whose  fortitude  made 
possible  this  day,  must  not  be  forgotten,  but  for  our  purpose 
we  turn  with  special  interest  to  two  occurrences  in  connec- 
tion with  these  trying  days,  occurrences  which  reveal  the 
democratic  temper  of  mind. 

One  of  these  incidents  makes  evident  that  these  settlers 
possessed  the  qualities  of  independence  and  hardy  self 
reliance,  qualities  that  fit  men  for  citizenship  in  a  demo- 
cratic order.  In  March,  1676,  the  General  Court,  evidently 
in  a  state  of  panic,  advised  the  inhabitants  of  Westfield  that 
they  could  not  supply  them  with  ammunition  or  with  men 
to  protect  the  settlement  and  called  upon  them  to  remove  to 
Springfield.  A  town  meeting  was  held  and  a  vigorous  let- 
ter of  protest,  cogent,  convincing  and  high  spirited,  written 
by  Rev.  Edward  Taylor  and  signed  by  an  Ashley  and  a 
Dewey,  was  sent  to  the  Council.  It  was  "generally  thought 
strange  that  Springfield  should  be  judged  a  better  place  for 
fortification  than  Westfield."  To  remove  to  Springfield 
that  "hath  been  sorely  under  ye  blasting  hand  of  God," 
they  said,  "seemed  such  a  strange  thing  that  we  find  not  a 
man  among  us  inclining  thereto."  The  selectmen  made  a 

57 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

canvass  of  the  town,  "to  see  who  are  willing  to  depend  upon 
God  in  the  use  of  means  for  our  own  defense  here."  And  as 
I  read  the  record  and  remember  the  decision,  I  think  of  that 
early  settler,  the  Miller  from  Weymouth,  whose  name  was 
Fearnot  King.  It  was  during  this  period,  on  March  26, 
1676,  that  the  action  of  the  town  gave  evidence  of  an  appre- 
ciation of  the  common  weal  without  which  no  democracy 
is  possible.  The  record  tells  us  "  that  the  town  considering 
the  hand  of  God  upon  us  in  having  or  letting  loose  the  In- 
dians upon  us"  they  find  it  is  not  a  time  for  them  to  carry 
on  their  affairs  as  before  or  to  extend  their  private  enter- 
prises, but  rather  to  give  up  their  former  personal  advan- 
tage, "that  so  we  may  carry  on  something  together  for  the 
good  of  the  whole,  that  so  by  God's  blessing  on  our  labor 
we  may  be  in  the  way  of  getting  food  for  our  families 
.  .  .  and  we  agree  to  plow  and  sow  and  carry  on  im- 
provements of  this  field  in  general."  To  this  agreement 
were  appended  ten  names,  all  but  one  of  which  are  known 
in  this  community  today.  As  a  still  further  evidence  of  the 
same  spirit  was  the  compliance  of  the  settlement  in  the 
compact  dwelling  order  of  1677,  whereby  some  gave  up 
their  beginnings  outside  the  "Town  Plot,"  and  those 
within  "yielded  to  break  their  home  lots  and  foregoe  part 
of  their  interest  in  them  to  such  other  persons  as  should 
come  to  settle  on  them." 

PATHS  TO  DWELL  IN 

The  territory  granted  Westfield  at  the  first  was  nine 
miles  long  and  from  four  to  five  miles  wide.  Additional 
land  was  granted  in  1713  by  the  General  Court,  and  in  1737 
the  New  Addition  of  6,000  acres  to  the  west  was  granted, 
the  town  being  desirous  of  a  good  supply  of  building  stone. 
The  district  to  the  south  of  Poverty  Plains  was  incorpo- 
rated as  Southwick  in  1775,  and  the  great  grant  of  1737  was 
later  divided  between  the  other  daughters  of  Westfield, 

58 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

Montgomery  born  in  1780  and  Russell  born  in  1792.  From 
the  beginning  and  of  necessity  the  fathers  were  road  build- 
ers. They  first  opened  up  paths  for  feet  to  tread  in  and 
then  laid  out  streets,  some  of  them  so  wide  that  we,  who 
rush  about  in  the  unforeseen  motor  cars,  have  reason  to 
bless  these  men  for  their  liberality.  The  streets  were  finally 
named  in  1832  by  a  committee  of  which  James  Fowler 
was  chairman.  But  very  early  South  Street  was  opened  up 
to  the  plow  land,  and  the  present  Silver  Street  led  out  of  it 
to  the  west,  going  in  time  on  to  Squawfield.  The  center 
of  town  life  crept  slowly  up  the  Great  Street,  now  Main 
Street.  The  second  meeting-house  was  built  on  the  corner 
of  Meadow  Street  in  1721.  The  brick  schoolhouse  was  lo- 
cated quite  beyond  this  in  1753,  and  finally  in  1805  the 
great  white  meeting-house,  with  its  fine  lines  and  comely 
spire,  crowned  the  new  and  permanent  center  at  the  Green 
where  long  before  the  Great  Street  had  found  an  end.  The 
present  Elm  Street  ran  away  north  to  Franklin  Street 
along  which  went  the  way  to  Pochassic.  Not  knowing  its 
great  destiny,  Elm  Street  did  not  venture  on  its  way  to 
Meadow  Street  and  the  river  until  1716.  Our  Court  Street 
started  west  at  an  early  date,  making  an  entrance  for  the 
Sheffield  Road  in  1 736  and  the  end  of  a  way  of  great  service 
to  the  traders  and  warriors  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Broad  Street  completed  the  four  great  ways  as  it  went  south 
to  find  the  road  that  perpetuates  John  Ponder 's  name,  going 
out  by  way  of  the  hollow  to  Southwick.  The  county  road 
to  Springfield  was  laid  out  in  1673,  but  the  bridle  path  that 
allowed  communication  with  Boston  did  not  become  an 
open  way  until  late  in  the  eighteenth  century.  For  nearly 
a  century  the  trade  between  the  Bay  and  Western  Massa- 
chusetts went  by  water  around  the  Cape  and  passing  Say- 
brook  Fort,  where  it  was  wont  to  evade  toll,  came  to  Wind- 
sor or  Hartford  where  the  merchandise  was  loaded  on  carts 
and  brought  up  the  country  road.  Thus  town  roads  be- 

59 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

came  streets,  along  which  in  time  new  homes  were  built 
and  the  evidences  of  a  diversified  industrial  life  appeared, 
while  the  trails  became  highways  connecting  a  growing  com- 
munity with  the  larger  centers. 

Set  at  the  crossing  of  the  ways,  then  as  now,  Westfield 
even  in  frontier  days  kept  in  the  main  currents  of  con- 
temporary life  and  thought.  The  information  which 
formed  the  citizen  life  and  gave  direction  to  its  democratic 
purpose  ran  more  swiftly  and  surely  than  one  might  sup- 
pose. The  policies  of  arrogant  and  unsuspecting  auto- 
crats of  Europe  were  known  and  discussed  by  these  men 
who  lived  far  from  courts  and  kings.  They  recognized 
their  own  unnecessary  suffering  caused  by  the  personal 
pride  and  ambition  of  far-away  rulers.  When  the  time 
came  the  colonial  bands  made  quick  steps  along  the  trails 
to  oppose  the  aggression  of  France  from  the  north.  Later 
on  the  Continental  troops  hastened  along  the  highways  to 
every  front  where  the  folly  of  their  so-called  "Rightful 
Sovereign,"  George  the  Third,  summoned  men  who  had 
learned  to  live  orderly  under  law  quite  independent  of  kings. 

The  experiences  of  the  French  and  Indian  War  served  as  a 
training  for  the  greater  events  of  the  Revolution.  In  the 
first  war,  Westfield  did  her  part,  added  to  her  honor  roll  of 
men  dead  in  the  name  of  liberty,  and  had  ready  at  hand, 
Captain  Warham  Parks,  Lieutenants  John  Shepard  and 
Richard  Falley*  to  lead  a  company  of  their  fellow- townsmen 
to  Boston  when  the  news  came  from  Lexington,  while 
Lieutenant-Colonel  William  Shepard  found  opportunity  for 
such  talents  as  rightly  make  him  the  central  figure  in  the 
present  anniversary. 

It  is  a  significant  fact  that  in  every  crisis  Westfield  has 
developed  a  competent  leadership.  Eldad  Taylor,  Elisha 
Parks,  Captain  John  Moseley,  John  Phelps,  Dr.  Samuel 
Mather,  Daniel  Fowler  and  John  Ingersoll  were  among 

*  Great-grandfather  of  Grover  Cleveland. 

60 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

those  who  so  guided  the  community  in  determining  "what 
measure  may  be  best  done  to  secure  our  privileges  and 
whether  it  is  advisable  to  take  up  government,"  that  ap- 
propriations were  duly  made  for  carrying  on  the  Revolu- 
tionary struggle,  and  that  250  men  of  Westfield,  all  the 
able  bodied  men  of  military  age,  were  at  one  time  or  another 
in  the  war.  In  addition  to  this  the  town  was  kept  steady 
in  those  most  trying  experiences  of  exhaustion  and  impov- 
erishment that  came  in  the  period  after  the  war.  When 
mob  rule  threatened  and  some  well-meaning  patriots  be- 
came a  menace  to  the  public  order,  Westfield  furnished 
in  General  Shepard  the  man  of  sufficient  command  and 
civic  wisdom  to  meet  the  crisis.  He  persuaded  men  having 
just  grievances  to  further  patient  endurance,  in  order  that 
they  might  prove  themselves  worthy  of  the  estate  of  free- 
men, and  by  legislative  enactment  and  constitutional 
procedure  make  secure  that  liberty  for  which  they  had 
fought. 

With  an  independence  characterizing  democratic  assem- 
blies to  this  day,  the  town,  in  1786,  voted  to  accept  the 
state  constitution,  excepting  certain  articles  objected  to 
by  its  committee;  and  in  1788  the  town  objected  to  the 
proposed  constitution  of  the  United  States.  Finding  itself, 
however,  possessed  of  a  larger  and  more  important  citizen- 
ship the  political  consciousness  of  the  town  seems  to  have 
awakened.  Party  feeling  ran  high  at  the  beginning  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  when  it  is  recorded  that  the  demo- 
cratic or  Jeffersonian  party,  under  the  leadership  of  Hon. 
Samuel  Fowler,  was  usually  victorious  over  the  Federalists. 
This  fact,  in  itself,  is  an  indication  of  the  radical  type  of 
political  dissent  which  characterized  the  community. 

THE  TOWN  MEETING 

The  same  Samuel  Fowler  in  1820  gave  the  land  for  a 
town  house,  "to  be  used,  occupied  by  said  Town  of  West- 

61 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

field  for  all  town  purposes  on  week  days,  and  equally  free 
for  all  and  each  Religious  Society  or  denomination  in 
town."  In  1837  the  original  part  of  the  present  town 
house  was  built  on  this  land  at  an  expense  of  $3,000,  the 
building  being  designed  for  a  high  school  as  well  as  a  town 
hall. 

From  the  beginning  the  public  business  of  the  community 
was  carried  on  in  that  most  natural,  fundamental  and 
democratic  of  all  assemblies,  the  town  meeting.  There, 
in  open  and  free  discussion,  the  affairs  of  the  little  com- 
munity were  considered,  and  the  decisions  were  made  by 
majority  vote.  Special  committees  were  often  appointed, 
but  in  general  the  business  of  the  town  was  entrusted  to 
selectmen.  As  we  read  over  the  long  list  of  the  town  fathers, 
it  is  apparent  that  Westfield  was  a  wise  democracy,  accus- 
tomed to  select  strong  men  who  became  their  title  to  carry 
on  its  affairs.  Five  men  constituted  the  board  in  the 
years  from  1730  to  1844,  but  the  earlier  custom  like  the 
later  has  been  to  elect  three. 

A  fine  sense  of  the  responsibility  of  the  citizenship  of 
freemen  is  evident  in  the  record  of  1698  when  it  was  "voted, 
anyone  failing  to  attend  town  meeting  shall  be  fined  one 
shilling  for  each  neglect."  Because  of  present  conditions 
we  read  with  interest  of  a  vote  in  1771  whereby,  in  accord- 
ance with  an  act  of  the  General  Court,  there  is  established 
a  scale  of  prices  for  merchandise  and  for  labor.  It  was  an 
evidence  of  early  co-operative  action,  but  we  wonder 
whether  the  difficult  problem  of  the  relation  of  wages  to 
the  cost  of  living  and  the  cost  of  living  to  wages  was  satis- 
factorily solved.  Much  attention  was  given  to  the  rivers 
in  town  meetings.  They  are  our  well  loved  rivers  and 
sources  of  our  pride.  But  it  is  to  be  confessed  that  they 
have  proved  themselves  to  be  avid,  vagrant  and  unruly. 
Unmindful  of  the  life  upon  their  banks  they  have  seized 
upon  the  deep  loam  that  would  fain  enclose  them  and  have 

62 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

hurried  it  out  to  sea.  Unrestrained  by  old  landmarks, 
they  have  made  new  channels  for  themselves  or  demanded 
that  new  ones  be  made  for  them  if  they  were  to  be  con- 
trolled. Impatient  of  the  bridges,  they  have  carried  them 
away  with  great  frequency.  Several  times  breaking  out 
of  all  bounds  (1692,  1819,  1839,  1869,  1878)  the  Great 
River  has  searched  out  the  heart  of  the  town  to  its  great 
loss.  There  have,  then,  been  frequent  appropriations  to 
restrain  the  river,  to  rebuild  bridges,  to  repair  dikes,  until 
by  the  wise  engineering  and  large  expenditures  of  1879-1880 
it  is  believed  that  the  river  has  been  taught  its  place. 

There  is  evidence  that  the  town  meetings  in  general  have 
been  conducted  with  dignity  and  decorum,  that  they  were 
attended  in  earlier  periods  by  the  body  of  the  citizens,  and 
that  they  were  marked  by  serious  and  forceful  discussion. 
I  venture  to  speak  especially  of  the  town  meetings  in  what 
I  shall  call  the  closing  period  of  old  Westfield,  when  among 
others  Reuben  Noble,  H.  B.  Smith,  Thomas  Kneil,  Joseph 
M.  Ely,  E.  B.  Gillett  and  L.  F.  Thayer  were  heard.  Then 
we  had  the  democratic  forum  at  its  best.  I  doubt  if  in  any 
halls  of  legislation  the  conduct  of  business  has  been  more 
efficient  or  the  utterance  of  opinion  surpassed  in  argument, 
effective  illustration  and  real  eloquence. 

THE  RELIGIOUS  SETTING  OF  THE  Civic  PURPOSE 

The  purpose  which  animated  the  settlers  of  Westfield  had 
its  roots  in  religion.  They  felt  that  it  was  by  the  hand  of 
God  that  they  had  become  pilgrims  and  strangers  in  a  new 
land.  They  sought  the  conditions  of  both  civil  and  relig- 
ious liberty.  We  are  not  surprised,  then,  to  find  church 
and  state  closely  allied  at  the  beginning.  The  town  as  such 
acted  on  the  business  affairs  of  the  church,  and  on  the 
town  records  are  spread  the  votes  that  had  to  do  with  the 
material  facts  of  the  early  religious  history.  The  town 
meetings  were  held  in  the  place  of  worship  for  many  years. 

63 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

The  town  called  the  minister,  appointed  him  house  and 
lands,  and  was  responsible  for  his  salary.  Committees  of 
the  town  built  three  meeting-houses  and  at  the  first  as- 
signed seats  to  the  people.  Some  less  important  but  inter- 
esting items  may  be  noted.  In  1678  Widow  Noble  and 
Edward  Noble  were  to  be  paid  two  pounds,  five  shillings, 
for  sweeping  the  house  and  beating  the  drum.  In  1795  a 
committee  of  five  was  named  "to  confer  with  the  singers 
and  endeavor  to  revive  and  ameliorate  the  singing  on  the 
Sabbath."  What  happened  to  these  rash  men  is  not 
recorded.  In  1812  $100  was  voted  for  singing,  the  Bap- 
tists and  the  Methodists  to  be  exempt  from  the  tax.  By  a 
vote  decided  by  the  moderator  the  town  voted  in  1823 
to  furnish  stoves  for  the  meeting-house.  A  corporation 
was  formed  in  1816  to  administer  the  ministerial  fund, 
resulting  from  the  sale  of  the  "Ministry  Lot"  off  Elm 
Street,  which  Samuel  Root  left  to  the  ministry  in  1712. 
It  was  as  late  as  1829  when  the  old  church  was  made 
separate  from  the  town. 

One  of  the  conditions  of  becoming  a  town  was  the  seeking 
out  and  settling  of  a  godly  man  for  minister.  Mr.  Holyoke 
of  Springfield  ministered  for  six  months  and  was  invited  to 
settle,  but  "as  Mr.  Holyoke  did  not  give  satisfaction  he 
was  allowed  twenty  pounds  for  his  prayers,  labors  and 
charges."  Moses  Fiske  was  then  minister  for  three  years, 
but  the  first  settled  pastor,  Edward  Taylor,  was  waiting  at 
Cambridge  to  be  found  and  brought  to  Westfield  in  1671 
by  Thomas  Dewey,  by  a  four  day's  horseback  ride  guided 
by  the  marked  trees.  It  was  eight  years  later  when  the 
church  was  organized  with  seven  foundation  men  whose 
family  names  continue  with  us. 

Mr.  Taylor  had  been  educated  at  an  English  University. 
He  had  been  a  vigorous  advocate  of  Oliver  Cromwell  and  of 
civil  and  religious  liberty.  An  ardent  anti-monarchist, 
he  was  a  man  well  fitted  to  nourish  and  inform  the  spirit 

64 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

of  democracy  in  the  settlement.  For  fifty-eight  years  Mr. 
Taylor  gave  a  leadership  as  preacher,  doctor,  educator  and 
publicist  that  well  became  his  office,  leaving  an  impress 
that  remains  to  this  day. 

Five  men  of  such  quality  that  they  lived  and  died  in  the 
service  of  the  parish  brought  the  succession  in  the  ministry 
of  the  old  church  down  to  1866.  The  last  of  these  was 
Emerson  Davis,  whose  practical  talents  and  genial  per- 
sonality won  the  regard  of  men.  When  his  body  was 
borne  to  its  resting  place  on  Pine  Hill,  some  of  us  walked 
in  the  great  procession  of  children  who  carried  flowers  to 
lay  on  the  grave  of  their  friend. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  Davis  in  1856  the  Congre- 
gational fellowship  became  so  large  that  a  new  church  was 
desirable.  The  second  Congregational  Church  was  formed 
by  a  colony  of  sixty- three  from  the  old  church.  A  church 
building  was  erected  in  1862,  since  when  this  church  has 
continued  to  serve  the  community  with  numbers  and 
prosperity  equal  to  that  of  the  mother  church. 

It  is  one  of  the  anomalies  of  history  tha't  dissenters  from 
England  developed  an  established  church  in  New  England. 
An  ordered  and  vital  religious  organization  was  undoubtedly 
a  necessity  for  the  full  realization  of  the  purpose  of  the 
Puritan  migration.  Yet  it  remains  true  that  the  estab- 
lishment bore  hard  upon  the  new  groups  of  dissenters,  and 
in  time  the  old  church  failed  to  afford  certain  people  a  type 
of  religious  life  that  was  grateful  to  them.  Hence  sprung 
that  opposition  and  those  contentions  that  accompanied 
the  rise  of  sects  in  New  England.  These  troubles  seem  to 
have  been  less  evident  in  West  field  than  in  many  places. 
The  town,  however,  did  drive  out  its  first  doctor,  one 
George  Filer,  "who  did  confess  that  he  entertained  Quakers 
for  the  reason  that  none  else  would,  and  further  that  he 
would  own  before  the  world  that  he  was  one  of  them." 
He  was  ordered  to  pay  a  fine  of  five  shillings  or  to  be  well 

65 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

whipt  for  venting  his  heterodoxy,  absenting  himself  from 
public  worship  and  scandalizing  the  community  by  his 
contemptuous  speech  of  the  word  and  work  of  the  ministry, 
in  saying  "that  they  turn  over  twenty  or  thirty  authors 
in  a  week  to  patch  up  an  hour's  discourse  or  two  on  the 
Sabbath." 

The  Baptists  in  early  days  often  served  as  a  needed  irri- 
tant to  the  establishment  in  New  England.  In  1784  a 
First  Church  of  that  denomination,  with  a  building  near 
the  County  bridge,  was  organized  by  a  group  of  people 
who  had  been  members  of  the  church  in  Suffield.  This 
First  Church,  together  with  a  Second  Baptist  Church 
which  had  been  organized  in  1787,  in  the  district  soon  to 
become  Russell,  lived  but  a  few  years.  In  1806  we  find  a 
reorganized  First  Baptist  Church  which  later  built  a  meet- 
ing-house near  the  Iron  bridge  and  in  1819  a  second  one  at 
West  Farms,  continuing  as  a  united  church  until  1830  when 
the  people  at  West  Farms  organized  as  a  separate  body, 
under  the  name  Second  Baptist  Church.  After  an  experi- 
ence of  division  and  a  period  of  unrest,  we  find  in  1833  the 
members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  united  and  well 
established,  as  the  Central  Baptist  Church,  at  the  corner 
of  Elm  and  Church  Streets.  In  their  new  home,  occupied 
in  1868,  they  became  one  of  the  four  strong  churches  of 
the  town. 

Methodism  came  in  by  the  way  of  *"  Hoophole,"  where  a 
church  of  that  order  has  existed  since  1794.  The  Metho- 
dists so  recommended  themselves  that  in  1830  the  unusual 
step  was  taken  of  the  town's  purchasing  a  site  for  them  on 
Main  Street,  where  they  became  an  independent  church  in 
1836.  In  the  commodious  building  with  stores  beneath  on 
the  corner  of  School  Street,  they  so  grew  and  flourished  that 
in  1875  they  dedicated  this  great  building  in  which  we  are 
gathered  where,  as  the  largest  Protestant  body  in  the  city, 
*  West  Parish, — now  Mundale. 

66 


they  worship  with  a  more  formal  order  and  less  unction 
than  in  the  early  days. 

Episcopacy  had  little  opportunity  in  the  average  New 
England  settlement  for  a  century  and  a  half.  [It  is  recorded 
that  about  the  time  of  the  Revolution,  Episcopal  Church 
services  were  held  in  Southwick  which  was  then  included 
in  the  township  of  Westfield.  But  the  Tory  sentiments 
of  the  officiating  clergymen  led  to  the  determination  that 
"Episcopacy  shall  never  be  established  in  Westfield"]; 
and  it  is  some  evidence  of  the  persistence  of  the  original 
Puritan  type  in  this  community  that  there  was  little  de- 
mand here  for  an  Episcopal  Church  before  1863. 

The  reinforcement  and  change  in  population,  and  some 
change  in  thought,  have  finally  given  that  church  a  real 
field  of  service  and  established  it  on  permanent  foun- 
dations. 

By  the  organization  of  an  Advent  Church  in  the  Bicen- 
tennial year  and  its  recent  occupancy  of  its  new  church 
home  the  circle  of  Protestant  churches  in  the  city  has 
completed  itself,  and  this,  happily,  with  less  diversity  of 
name  and  with  a  larger  unity  than  prevails  in  most  towns 
of  the  size  of  Westfield. 

EDUCATION  IN  THE  DEMOCRATIC  COMMUNITY 

In  that  remarkable  and  forward  looking  program  of  the 
English  Labor  Party  put  out  last  year  the  ideal  of  the  oppor- 
tunity for  a  full  education  for  all  was  set  forth  convincingly. 
This  was  the  noble  democratic  idea  of  the  Puritans.  They 
desired  to  provide  the  best  possible  instruction  for  all. 
They  set  the  school  beside  the  meeting-house  symbolizing 
the  importance  of  education.  The  law  of  1647  in  Massa- 
chusetts contemplated  a  great  and  wise  system  of  public 
schools  for  the  education  of  the  whole  people.  Where 
there  were  fifty  families  there  must  be  a  school,  and  where 
there  were  one  hundred  families  there  must  be  a  grammar 

67 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

school  to  fit  for  college.  The  early  settlers  undertook  to 
carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  law  as  best  they  could. 
Before  1678  parents  taught  their  children  under  penalty 
of  a  fine  for  neglect  of  duty.  Their  education  was  to  include 
perfect  reading  of  the  English  tongue,  a  knowledge  of  the 
capital  laws,  the  grounds  and  principles  of  religion,  and  the 
bringing  up  of  the  children  and  apprentices  in  some  honest, 
lawful  calling,  labor  or  employment,  profitable  to  them- 
selves or  the  commonwealth.  As  one  considers  these 
requirements  he  has  before  him  a  program  of  education  that 
the  present  day  might  well  emulate. 

To  the  first  schoolmaster,  who  evidently  did  not  remain 
long,  the  town  assigned  a  home  lot  and  two  tracts  of  out- 
lying land,  with  an  allowance  for  teaching.  There  was  a 
provision  that  in  order  to  secure  proper  respect  the  wife  of 
the  schoolmaster  should  be  accommodated  with  a  pew  next 
to  the  magistrates.  The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  in 
1701.  The  second  was  built  near  the  old  Main  Street 
school  in  1753.  A  grammar  school  was  opened  in  1724, 
with  Mr.  Bull  for  teacher.  Mr.  Bull  was  the  assistant 
minister  and  was  allowed  Friday  and  Saturday  in  which  to 
get  his  sermon. 

But  it  must  be  confessed  that  in  Westfield,  as  in  all  the 
commonwealth,  the  ideal  while  cherished  was  very  im- 
perfectly realized.  Not  until  the  last  decades  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  was  the  educational  system  at  all  adequate. 
The  lack  of  schoolmasters  is  given  as  one  reason  for  the 
founding  of  academies,  so  generally  done  at  the  end  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  The  Westfield  Academy  opened  in 
1800  was  the  first  in  Western  Massachusetts,  and  evidences 
the  sincere  purpose  of  this  town  to  advance  education  as 
they  "rejoiced  that  this  happy  lot  has  fallen  to  us  that  we 
have  an  opportunity  to  impart  a  small  portion  of  our  prop- 
erty in  laying  the  foundation  of  so  useful  an  institution." 
For  many  years  this  school  provided  unusual  advantages  for 

68 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

the  youth  of  West  field  and  added  to  the  life  of  the  town 
that  interest  which  attaches  to  an  educational  center. 
Emerson  Davis,  later  a  member  of  the  first  State  Board  of 
Education,  was  preceptor  for  fourteen  years,  and  of  Wil- 
liam Goldthwaite,  a  later  principal,  men  of  the  last  genera- 
tion were  wont  to  speak  with  gratitude.  In  1867  the 
Academy,  yielding  to  changing  conditions,  was  practically 
merged  into  the  High  School,  where  for  many  years  Abner 
Gibbs,  that  great  teacher  and  rare  spirit,  awakened  and 
inspired  youth,  ably  seconded  for  a  time  by  Sarah  M. 
Kneil  whose  helpfulness  to  the  young  people  of  an  earlier 
day  will  not  soon  be  forgotten. 

The  selectmen  had  been  the  School  Board  until  1826 
when  a  separate  school  committee  was  elected.  The 
lower  schools  struggled  on  under  the  district  system  until 
1863,  when  the  town  system  was  adopted  and  two  grammar 
schools  were  opened.  The  establishment  in  1844  of  one 
of  the  State  Normal  Schools  was  of  special  advantage  to 
the  local  enterprise  of  education.  In  recent  years  the  High 
School,  in  an  enlarged  building  and  competently  led,  has 
become  an  important  institution.  By  the  adoption  of 
modern  methods  in  the  schools  at  large,  by  enlarging  appro- 
priations and  equipment,  the  New  Westfield  is  gradually 
achieving  the  main  features  of  the  democratic  ideal  of  edu- 
cation which  the  fathers  cherished  but  were  unable  to 
realize. 

INDUSTRY  IN  A  DEMOCRATIC  COMMUNITY 

The  first  settlers  left  the  pleasant  scenes  and  accustomed 
occupations  of  England  for  far  other  than  economic  con- 
siderations. They  did  not  adventure  the  sea  and  the  wil- 
derness to  hunt  and  to  fish,  to  appropriate  new  acres,  or  to 
buy  and  sell  and  get  gain.  But  the  success  of  any  ideal 
undertaking  involves  an  adequate  material  setting.  It 
should  never  be  forgotten  that  the  fathers'  purpose  was 

69 


achieved  only  as  the  result  of  such  hard  and  protracted 
labor  as  the  temper  of  the  present  seems  to  disdain.  Their 
success  depended  upon  a  thrift,  a  self-denial,  and  a  sim- 
plicity of  life  such  as  this  self-indulgent,  pleasure-seeking 
age  appears  to  scorn.  It  may  well  be  that  the  nation  they 
helped  to  found,  and  the  newly  created  democracies  which 
are  its  associates,  may  be  compelled  to  learn  that  a  demo- 
cratic world-order  cannot  succeed  except  as  honest  and 
sustained  labor  produces  and  self-denial  and  thrift  conserve 
the  material  resources  sufficient  to  appease  physical  hunger 
and  to  make  possible  the  satisfaction  of  the  soul  cravings. 

Beaver  skins,  turpentine,  rosin,  tar  and  bricks  were  the 
first  products  marketed  by  the  settlers,  but  the  rich  alluvial 
soil  made  Woronoco  in  more  senses  than  one  "fat  hunting." 
Its  first  real  development  was  as  a  village  of  independent 
and  prosperous  farmers,  a  type  of  citizen  naturally  tena- 
cious of  an  ordered  democratic  life.  Farming  has  remained 
a  leading  industry,  although  great  areas  of  tobacco  have 
appropriated  the  acres  where  once  diversified  crops  grew. 
The  farms  long  remained  centers  of  varied  industries  which 
largely  supplied  the  wants  of  the  household.  In  time  the 
little  shops  of  the  blacksmith,  of  the  wheelwright  and  other 
artisans  appeared  by  the  wayside.  In  these  shops  master 
craftsmen,  with  honest  pride  in  their  work,  turned  out 
products  warranted  to  last.  As  industrial  life  changed,  the 
country  store  became  more  of  a  feature  in  the  town  and  in 
1813  the  splendid  structure  of  the  "Brick  Store"  appeared 
at  the  center  among  the  less  pretentious  wooden  buildings, 
forerunner  of  much  other  brick  construction  in  which  has 
been  carried  on  the  lucrative  trade  of  the  enlarging  town 
and  the  outlying  communities. 

Saw  and  grist  mills  (Vi4  of  wheat  and  l/u  of  corn  for  the 
miller)  were  built  very  early  on  the  streams  and  then  on  the 
rivers.  Some  of  these  mills  continued  to  be  of  importance 
far  into  the  nineteenth  century.  At  Springdale,  at  Morton's 

70 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

mill  and  at  Cowles'  mill  the  older  industry  made  way  for 
the  manufacture  of  paper,  while  the  power  at  Great  River 
was  appropriated  for  the  use  of  varied  industries.  West- 
field  like  many  other  villages  in  New  England  developed  a 
characteristic  industry,  the  manufacture  of  whips,  which 
continues  with  full  success.  This  business  gave  scope  for 
the  abilities  of  a  competent  group  of  men  like  Hiram  Hull, 
Jasper  R.  Rand,  Hiram  Harrison,  Henry  J.  Bush  and 
Reuben  Noble.  As  the  whip  salesmen  went  through  the 
land,  first  with  their  peddlers'  carts  and  later  with  sample 
cases,  they  carried  the  name  of  West  field  far  and  wide. 
About  1840  the  manufacture  of  cigars  was  begun.  The 
business  grew  to  relatively  large  proportions  and  the  letter 
heads  of  some  old  firms  read  "Whips  and  Cigars."  The 
piano  leg  factory  disappeared  and  we  failed  to  maintain  the 
interesting  business  of  building  organs,  but  other  lucrative 
industries  have  been  established  so  that  the  farming  village 
has  become  a  manufacturing  community,  with  the  evident 
problems  of  industrial  democracy. 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  CELT 

One  of  the  most  important  features  of  the  story  of  the 
town  in  the  last  century  was  the  coming  of  the  Celtic  people 
to  this  region.  It  was  a  part  of  the  great  migration  of  the 
Irish  stock  to  this  country.  As  the  early  settlers  had 
cleared  the  land  and  built  the  roads,  these  new  people, 
forced  out  of  their  own  land  by  the  hard  experiences  of 
overlordship  and  famine,  came  with  their  brawn  and  willing 
minds  to  do  their  share  of  foundation  laying,  by  building 
the  canals,  the  railroads  and  other  public  works  of  their 
adopted  country.  These  young  and  active  men  and  women 
also  lifted  a  part  of  the  work  which  had  become  too  burden- 
some for  the  shoulders  of  the  farmers  in  their  cleared  fields 
and  of  their  wives  in  their  busy  kitchens.  Westfield  like 
other  places  waited  for  the  coming  of  these  Irish  people  and 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

their  service  has  been  invaluable.  And  here  I  am  con- 
strained to  pay  a  heartfelt  tribute,  in  which  I  am  sure  not 
a  few  of  my  generation  will  join,  to  an  early  group  out  of 
Ireland,  who  by  their  friendly  interest,  their  honest  toil, 
their  unfailing  loyalty  found  a  sure  place  in  the  affection 
and  home  life  of  many  Yankee  families,  and  did  much  to 
make  that  home  life  possible. 

The  first  Irish  immigrants  came  in  the  second  quarter  of 
the  last  century  as  builders  of  the  canal  and  the  Western 
Railroad.  By  the  middle  of  the  century  they  were  well 
established  here.  By  immigration  and  a  high  birth  rate 
the  stock  has  increased  until  it  has  become  a  strong  people, 
who  by  talent  and  industry  have  enriched  themselves  and 
added  to  the  prosperity  of  the  town. 

The  devotion  of  these  people  to  religion  has  been  evident. 
The  first  mass  of  record  was  said  in  1851  in  the  town  hall, 
on  the  site  free  for  all  religious  societies.  The  first  Catholic 
Church  was  occupied  in  1853.  Father  Carroll  became  the 
first  resident  pastor  in  1862.  By  the  long  pastorate  of 
Rev.  Thomas  Smythe  the  parish  wa's  greatly  extended 
and  strengthened ;  today  the  English-speaking  Catholics  of 
Westfield  number  some  3,500,  in  two  parishes,  with  large 
resources,  and  having  a  full  equipment  of  worthy  ecclesias- 
tical buildings.  These  people,  in  accordance  with  their 
genius,  have  become  influential  in  the  civic  life  of  the  town. 
They  have  taken  a  full  share  in  the  wars  of  the  republic. 
They  are  a  people  desirous  of  liberty  and  we  trust  them  to 
maintain  with  the  older  stock  the  traditions  of  a  democratic 
community. 

THE  ANCIENT  NAMES  AND  THE  GROWTH  IN  POPULATION 

We  are  interested  in  the  spirit  that  animated  them  rather 
than  in  the  numbering  and  naming  of  the  independent, 
liberty-loving  Anglo-Saxons  whose  intention  it  was  to  help 
form  a  Christian  commonwealth,  all  the  members  of  which 

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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

should  understand  and  obey  the  laws  of  God  and  of  the 
state.  Yet  there  is  an  interest  in  noting  how  "the  little 
one  became  a  thousand,"  and  it  is  a  matter  of  true  senti- 
ment that  leads  us  to  record  and  cherish  their  names. 

In  1669,  the  year  of  the  incorporation  of  the  town, 
twenty-four  names  are  given  of  those  who  were  landholders, 
and  in  1676  the  population  was  estimated  to  be  150. 
A  study  of  the  early  lists  of  grants  and  the  table  of  select- 
men gives  us  with  very  few  exceptions  names  that  have 
been  perpetuated  to  this  day.  These  important  and 
enduring  names  are:  Ashley,  Dewey,  Fowler,  Ingersoll, 
Loomis,  Lee,  Moseley,  Noble,  Phelps,  Root,  Sackett, 
Taylor,  Weller.  The  names  Kellogg,  Shepard  and  Bush 
were  added  early  in  the  eighteenth  century.  The  Board  of 
Selectmen  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  with  only  here 
and  there  an  exception,  was  made  up  from  these  families. 
These  were  the  names  usually  appended  to  important 
documents.  They  predominate  in  the  lists  of  soldiers  who 
went  to  the  French  and  Indian  and  of  those  who  fought  in 
the  Revolution.  There  are  other  names  of  great  signifi- 
cance to  the  story  of  Westfield,  some  of  which  happily  are 
being  perpetuated  as  family  names,  but  these  that  have 
endured  for  two  centuries  and  a  half  in  this  countryside  are 
of  special  interest  at  this  time. 

Fifty  years  after  incorporation  Westfield  consisted  of 
107  households.  The  Massachusetts  census  in  1765  made 
Westfield  the  second  town  in  the  region  with  1,324  inhabi- 
tants. At  the  time  of  the  first  United  States  census  in 
1790,  Westfield  with  a  population  of  2,204  was  larger  than 
Springfield.  For  some  twenty  years  the  population  was 
stationary.  Then  the  town,  assuming  the  features  of  a 
pleasant  and  prosperous  village,  grew  steadily  to  a  popula- 
tion of  4,180  at  the  middle  of  the  century. 

The  great  expectations  created  by  the  building  of  the 
canal  were  never  realized,  but  the  railroads  gave  adequate 

73 


WESTPIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

outlets  for  trade.  Industries,  employing  native  stock  for 
the  most  part,  grew  in  importance.  Public  improvements 
were  begun.  The  challenge  of  the  Civil  War  was  ade- 
quately met  and  sixty  more  sons  of  Westfield  gave  up  their 
lives  that  the  principle  of  liberty  might  more  fully  prevail. 
Aspects  of  village  life  remained  after  the  war,  but  by  the 
end  of  the  second  century  Westfield  with  a  population  of 
some  6,500  had  been  transformed  into  a  town. 

THE  PASSING  OF  OLD  WESTFIELD 

The  Bicentennial  came  at  a  time  that  marked  the  passing 
of  old  Westfield.  The  old  tradition  was  still  strong. 
Men  who  incarnated  its  spirit  were  still  alive.  But  they 
appear  to  have  remained  largely  oblivious  to  what  was 
happening.  Some  old  customs  of  neighborliness  and  some 
old  ways  of  trade  still  persisted.  The  atmosphere  of  a 
simple,  hearty,  democratic  social  life  had  not  entirely  dis- 
appeared. But  the  end  of  a  period  had  come.  It  had 
been  a  good  period,  rich  in  the  things  that  strengthened  the 
mind  and  informed  the  heart.  Its  simplicities,  its  lack  of 
modern  conveniences,  its  homely  ways  are  apparent  enough 
now.  We  may  not  regret  their  loss  but  those  of  us  who 
knew  something  of  that  period  treasure  our  memories. 
We  like  to  recall  the  park  with  its  fence  and  bandstand  and 
the  town  pump  then  still  an  institution.  A  real  stage- 
coach carried  us  to  the  trains  and  drew  up  in  front  of  the 
Woronoco  House  with  becoming  flourish.  The  yeastman 
rang  his  bell  from  door  to  door.  The  hulled  corn  and 
hominy  man  made  his  rounds.  In  season  a  kind  soul 
brought  us  oysters  weekly  from  the  Sound.  We  played 
ball  on  the  unkempt  green  in  summer,  often  men  and 
boys  together.  We  skated  on  the  old  canal  in  winter.  We 
were  entertained  by  Cattle  Shows  on  Moseley's  Park  and 
by  fairs,  held  for  worthy  objects,  in  Whitman's  Hall. 
Every  fire  was  an  opportunity  for  community  co-operation, 

74 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

and  always  held  an  element  of  joy  because  of  the  rivalry 
between  the  "Bay  State"  and  the  "Rough  and  Ready" 
engines.  We  were  expectant  when  Major  Taylor's  fat  ox 
was  to  be  killed.  We  waited  at  the  gate  once  a  week  for 
Mr.  Buell's  News  Letter,  or  later  for  the  Hampden  Times, 
papers  which  recorded  incidents  of  the  countryside  and 
interpreted  the  community  life.  It  was  literature  not  to  be 
replaced  by  more  ambitious  publications.  Elm  Street  as 
yet  did  not  belie  its  name  and  houses  still  stood  in  open 
yards  telling  of  the  street's  earlier  day.  We  drew  our 
water  from  wells  or  cisterns  and  we  heated  our  rooms  with 
stoves.  On  dark  nights  we  steered  our  courses  by  the  aid 
of  dim  and  infrequent  gas  lights.  We  were  without  many 
things  which  this  age  deems  necessary,  but  many  lived  glad 
and  contented  days,  and  even  the  life  of  a  town  consisteth 
not  in  the  things  a  town  possesseth. 

*         *         * 

THE  LAST  HALF  CENTURY 

The  last  half  century  has  seen  a  growth  and  expansion 
grateful  to  all  who  care  for  the  town's  material  prosperity. 
The  old  center  gradually  changing  remains  the  center  of  a 
new  town.  Elm  Street  has  found  its  destiny,  and  its  side 
streets  yield  themselves  to  trade.  On  miles  of  new  streets 
and  the  highlands  beyond  are  built  the  attractive  homes  of  a 
prosperous  people.  An  adequate  water  and  sewer  system, 
electric  lights,  paved  streets  and  new  bridges  are  features  of 
the  new  Westfield.  Electric  cars  run  along  the  old  streets 
while  the  steam  cars  on  elevated  tracks  no  longer  endanger 
life.  On  two  parts  of  the  old  plow  land  extensive  manu- 
factories have  been  built,  and  about  one  of  these  has  grown 
up  a  Slovak  village.  On  the  North  or  "Cellar  Side "  other 
industrial  plants  have  been  erected  in  the  old  fields.  On 
the  old  canal  and  under  Prospect  Hill  the  business  founded 
by  H.  B.  and  Edwin  Smith  in  1854,  an<^  developed  by  John 

75 


WESTF1ELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

Reed,  has  greatly  enlarged  its  borders.  The  Atheneum 
has  changed  its  home,  having  outgrown  its  earlier  bene- 
factors, and  now  a  large  library  waits  to  be  housed  by  the 
Whitney  bequest.  The  hospital  bearing  the  ancient  name 
of  Noble  stands  as  a  house  of  mercy  on  yonder  hill,  while 
the  Gillett  home  and  the  Shurtleff  home  have  opened  doors 
to  the  homeless.  Decade  to  decade  has  shown  a  steady 
increase  in  population,  which  was  12,310  in  1900,  16,400  in 
1910.  In  this,  the  25Oth  year,  approximately  20,000 
people  make  up  the  town. 

It  is  the  character  of  this  population  that  presents  us  with 
the  most  important  facts  of  the  town's  growth,  and  more 
than  any  other  thing  leads  us  to  speak  of  the  "New  West- 
field."  At  least  one  half  of  the  present  population  is  of 
other  than  Anglo-Saxon  stock.  Some  6,300  persons  are  not 
of  the  English-speaking  races.  There  are  estimated  to  be 
in  the  town  some  80  Hebrews  having  a  synagogue,  a  few 
Greeks  and  800  Italians.  There  are  200  Spaniards,  and 
a  group  of  650  Lithuanians  with  their  own  church.  The 
new  Czecho-Slovakia  is  represented  by  500  Czechs  or 
Bohemians,  beside  500  Slovaks  forming  a  community  of 
their  own  about  their  church,  3,500  Poles  with  their  large 
religious  establishment  comprise  the  largest  element  of  the 
new  population.  A  prosperous  Lutheran  Church  serves 
the  religious  needs  of  a  group  of  that  denomination. 
Many  of  these  people  are  employed  in  the  factories  of 
the  town.  Some  on  the  land  as  farmers,  and  some  in 
other  ways  bear  much  of  the  heat  and  burden  of  the 
present  day. 

But  other  men  and  other  races  have  labored  and  these 
newcomers  have  entered  into  their  labors.  They  find  here 
fields  cleared,  roads  built,  railroads  constructed,  many 
public  works  completed.  They  find  provided  conveniences 
of  life  which  the  immigrants  of  other  periods  could  not 
enjoy.  They  find  here  the  foundations  of  a  free  govern- 

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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

ment,  laid  at  great  cost  of  blood  and  treasure.  They  find 
here  the  delicate  fabric  of  a  democratic  order  built  thereon. 
These  people  have  come  of  their  own  will.  They  have  come 
to  better  their  conditions.  Many  of  them  have  come  to 
escape  the  tyranny  of  old  autocracies.  These  people  have 
reason  to  appreciate  the  purpose  of  the  founders  of  this 
town  and  to  cherish  a  like  spirit.  We  welcome  them  at 
this  time  as  sons  and  daughters  of  Westfield  by  a  spiritual 
adoption,  asking  them  in  their  day  to  make  their  primal 
offering  of  labor,  laying  some  good  material  foundation, 
and  with  us  to  develop  and  maintain  the  institutions  of 
civic  and  religious  liberty. 

My  friends,  when  I  read  on  the  town's  Roll  of  Honor  the 
names  of  so  many  men  of  the  new  immigration,  I  am  of 
good  courage. 

THE  SPIRIT  OF  OLD  WESTFIELD 

It  was  the  purpose  of  the  founders  of  this  town  to  lay  some 
good  foundation  in  the  name  of  the  God  of  liberty  upon 
which  a  better  future  might  be  built.  The  story  of  the 
passing  years  has  proved  beyond  a  peradventure  that  the 
purpose  of  the  early  days  was  so  loyally  held,  so  practically 
expressed,  so  surely  handed  on,  so  truly  developed,  that 
here  the  principle  of  democracy  has  always  had  a  vital 
existence  and  has  prevailed  to  such  a  degree  as  to  mark 
Westfield  as  peculiarly  a  democratic  community. 

Here  all  facts  have  been  given  consideration  and  all 
forces  have  had  their  opportunity.  Here  competent 
leadership  has  always  been  available  and  wisely  accepted; 
but  here  no  individual  has  dominated  and  no  aristocracy 
has  established  itself.  Here  no  family  has  been  established 
in  great  wealth  with  its  group  of  dependents ;  but  here  not 
a  few  families  have  accumulated  comfortable  livings  and 
many  have  shared  in  a  becoming  prosperity. 

Old  Westfield  in  all  its  history  may  be  characterized  as 

77 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

a  community  of  well-to-do,  independent,  self-respecting 
people,  incapable  of  subserviency  and  able,  in  spite  of 
strongly  held  opinions,  to  so  co-operate  as  to  maintain  a 
public  spirit  and  to  ensure  the  common  weal.  May  we  not 
add  that  Westfield  has  so  practically  entered  into  the  good 
will  of  the  Gospel  that  what  the  Fathers  of  Springfield 
hoped  for  us  has  been  true,  namely:  "That  they  through 
the  favor  of  God  may  grow  up  into  a  comfortable  society 
and  be  a  happy  neighborhood  to  us  and  our  friends  and 
theirs." 

And  now,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  venture  to  speak  for  those 
sons  and  daughters  of  Westfield  who  have  left  the  old  home 
and  are  rarely  privileged  to  cross  old  thresholds  and  com- 
mune with  old  friends.  In  fancy  we  often  walk  these  streets, 
oblivious  to  much  outwardly  and  materially  new  that  is 
matter  of  the  town's  just  pride.  We  behold  things  that  are 
not  as  though  they  were.  The  associations  and  adventures 
of  childhood  again  refresh  our  spirits.  We  yield  ourselves 
once  more  to  the  instructors  and  guides  of  our  youth.  We 
look  upon  the  faces  of  men  and  women  whose  example,  be- 
yond any  knowledge  of  their  own,  influenced  our  ideals. 
We  take  part  again  in  those  community  events  of  long  ago 
that  awakened  in  us  social  insight  and  civic  purpose.  We 
seek  out  every  spring  that  made  glad  the  mind  and  heart  of 
youth,  thus  refreshing  our  tried  and  burdened  spirits  so 
that  faith  and  hope  and  love  may  still  endure.  With 
reverent  steps  we  visit  the  places  where  we  had  our  God- 
given  visions  that  in  the  later  days,  having  done  all,  we  may 
stand.  Perhaps,  to  us  who  thus  often  dwell  here  in  imagina- 
tion, rather  than  to  you  who  in  reality  abide  here,  it  has 
been  given  to  realize  the  full  significance  of  such  a  com- 
munity life  as  Westfield  has  achieved  and  to  be  thankful 
that  our  youth  was  nurtured  in  this  valley,  where  the  Great 
Spirit  once  made  revelations  to  the  youthful  Alquat,  and 
where  so  often  since  mercy  and  truth  have  met  together 
and  righteousness  and  peace  have  kissed  each  other. 

78 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

We  have  made  place  for  other  and  we  may  hope  better 
servants  of  the  old  town's  later  day.  We  have  served  in 
other  and  perhaps  less  pleasant  surroundings,  but  baptised 
in  the  spirit  of  old  Westfield  we  have  sought  to  keep  the 
faith.  In  the  instructor's  chair,  in  halls  of  legislation,  in 
the  pulpit,  in  the  laboratory  and  office,  amid  the  whirling 
wheels  of  industry  and  in  the  marts  of  trade,  in  some  places 
of  eminence  and  many  places  of  obscurity,  we  have  sought  to 
be  true  to  our  heritage.  More  than  this,  we  have  sought 
to  hand  on  the  tradition.  Our  sons  empowered  by  the  same 
spirit  have  fought  with  your  sons  in  the  Great  War  for  the 
right.  Some,  bearing  names  honored  in  the  last  generation 
and  carrying  the  high  hopes  of  many  old  time  families,  have 
laid  down  their  very  precious  lives  that  democracy  might 
prevail  in  all  the  earth. 

This  spirit  will  endure  in  the  new  Westfield  and  will 
empower  it  for  future  adventures  in  the  field  of  human 
freedom.  For  there  press  upon  us  the  very  difficult, 
dangerous  and  yet  necessary  problems  of  democracy  seeking 
its  logical  development  in  the  field  of  industry.  The  spirit 
will  endure  though  we  have  carried  out  to  burial  the  men 
of  the  past  in  whom  it  lived,  developed  and  expressed  itself. 
For  it  is  the  spirit  of  liberty  that  can  never  die.  It  is  that 
urge  at  the  heart  of  life  whereby  men  seek  to  come  into 
fellowship  with  the  eternal  Spirit,  seeking  the  freedom  of  the 
Sons  of  God.  Through  much  weakness  and  weariness, 
through  mistakes  and  failures,  through  new  ways  of  preju- 
dice, injustice  and  violence,  which  arrogance  and  tyranny 
have  evoked,  by  the  highway  of  public  service  and  the  low- 
way  of  private  devotion,  the  race  moves  on  to  its  goal. 
The  movement  is  necessary  and  the  goal  is  sure.  The  pur- 
pose that  characterized  old  Westfield  is  part  of  an  eternal 
purpose,  a  part  of  the  constant  struggle  of  the  human  soul 
to  answer  the  call,  "Son  of  man  stand  upon  thy  feet  and  I 
will  speak  with  thee."  Speak  with  thee!  Not  with  an- 

79 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

ADDRESS 

JUDGE  MICHAEL  H.  SULLIVAN 
Friends  of  the  Town  of  Westfield: 

I  deem  it  a  great  honor  to  be  here  this  evening,  and  to 
be  invited  to  say  a  word ;  because,  in  the  first  place,  I  am 
not  a  native  of  Westfield,  and,  of  course,  to  be  invited  to 
a  birthday  party  is  to  be  admitted  to  the  bosom  of  the 
family;  and,  secondly,  because  I  have  a  great  affection  for 
Westfield. 

Born  in  a  little  town  to  the  west — Granville — I  very 
early  in  life  yearned  to  come  down  into  this  beautiful  val- 
ley and  see  what  Westfield  was  like.  Thirty-five  years  ago 
Westfield  to  me  was  a  huge  city.  I  recall  now  the  pungent 
odor  from  the  tar  sidewalks  as  I  came  to  the  head  of  Court 
Street.  The  drive  down  through  Court  Street,  with  the 
Soldiers'  Monument  at  the  end,  was  almost  enough  for 
one  day. 

I  recall,  better  than  I  do  what  is  there  now,  the  view 
on  Elm  Street  as  I  turned  from  Court  Street  by  the  monu- 
ment. The  old  mortar  and  pestle  sign  pointing  out  Hol- 
land's drug  store  and  the  great  clock  that  indicated  the 
place  of  J.  A.  Lakin,  the  optician.  I  never  could  quite  tell 
by  that  clock  whether  it  was  twenty  minutes  of  four  or 
twenty  minutes  past  eight.  Then,  immediately  across  the 
Green,  that  cameo  of  the  town,  were  the  old  feed  troughs, 
where  the  country  horses  took  their  lunch.  In  the  center 
of  the  roadway  part  of  the  Green  was  the  old  watering  tub, 
where  the  horses  of  this  and  adjoining  towns  quenched  their 
thirst.  The  view  down  Elm  Street,  looking  north,  with  the 
rows  of  hitching  posts  on  either  side,  nearly  always  tenanted, 
sometimes  by  horses  that  proclaimed  humane  and  conscien- 
tious owners,  and  sometimes — I  fear  oftener — by  horses 
that  proclaimed  inhumane  owners. 

82 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

Finally  the  trip  across  Great  River,  over  the  bridge  that 
was  then  nearly  new.  It  was  a  long  time  before  I  associated 
Great  River  with  Little  River.  I  thought  that  Great 
River  meant  that  it  was  among  the  great  rivers  of  the  world. 

Then,  after  crossing  Great  River  bridge,  to  come  to  the 
Boston  &  Albany  Railroad,  with  its  huge  gates,  that  to 
the  country  youngster  seemed  lifted  and  lowered  in  some 
mysterious  way.  To  view  all  these  things  once  or  twice  a 
year  were  great  events  for  a  boy  who  lived  where  the  whistle 
of  a  steam  engine  could  not  be  heard  and  where  there  was 
not  water  enough  in  one  spot  to  drown  in. 

Decoration  Day  in  Westfield  was  the  event  of  the  year! 
To  hear  the  band  play;  to  see  the  Soldiers'  Monument  beau- 
tifully decorated  by  the  high  school  boys ;  to  march  with  the 
veterans, — or  at  least  to  go  along  on  the  sidewalk  beside 
the  marching  veterans, — with  the  band  playing,  to  the 
cemetery,  and  to  see  and  to  hear  the  exercises, — that  day 
did  for  a  full  twelve  months. 

And  later  on,  when  the  educational  opportunities  in  the 
hilltop  town  had  been  exhausted, — or  an  indulgent  teacher 
said  so, — to  come  down  to  the  Westfield  High  School! 
The  thing,  I  suppose,  that  will  stay  with  me  longest  as  an 
impression  about  the  High  School  was  the  fact  that  there 
were  men  teachers  there.  Men  dressed  up,  working  but  four 
or  five  hours  a  day,  teaching  boys  and  girls,  was  something 
new  to  me.  All  the  men  that  I  had  theretofore  known  did 
no  such  work, — not  one  of  them.  Usual  as  it  may  seem  to 
us  now,  yet  it  was  a  very  outstanding  fact  to  me  my  first 
year  in  High  School.  The  principal  was  some  wonderful 
man !  The  superintendent,  of  course,  was  only  to  be  looked 
upon  from  a  distance! 

My  first  week  in  the  High  School  was  the  longest  week 
mentally  that  I  have  ever  known, — even  to  this  day. 
When  Friday  came  and  school  closed  for  the  week  I  could 
not  wait  until  the  next  day,  when  the  team  was  to  come 

83 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

for  me,  but  went  the  nine  miles  home,  all  uphill,  a  rise  of 
eleven  hundred  feet,  as  you  know,  in  less  time  than  it  was 
many  times  made  by  a  horse.  Because  I  was  going  home! 

And  that  is  the  thing  about  this  meeting  that  makes  it 
intimate  and  serious.  It  concerns  itself  with  home,  with 
the  days  of  youth,  the  days  of  small  things,  and  the  days 
of  impressions  that  are  most  deep  and  most  lasting. 

But  I  was  asked  by  your  committee  to  say  something  of 
the  future,  and  so  I  must  not  digress  further.  As  the  speaker 
intimated,  it  would  be  only  a  very  courageous  man  who 
would  attempt  to  forecast  for  more  than  a  day  what  is 
before  us.  I  doubt  if,  in  the  mad  race  which  we  are  all 
engaged  in,  we  ever  think  more  than  a  week  ahead.  At 
any  rate,  very  few  of  us  do.  A  decade  seems  like  an  age, 
as  we  look  forward  to  it,  and  when  we  realize  what  has  been 
achieved  in  the  world  since  you  had  your  last  celebration 
we  are  amazed.  Indeed,  the  race  has  traveled  very  far! 
It  becomes  all  the  more  astounding  when  we  realize  that 
most  of  the  wonderful  material  progress  has  come  in  the 
last  half  of  that  fifty-year  period. 

Your  committee  should  have  selected  a  man  with 
imagination — great  imagination — I  have  none — to  tell  you 
simply  a  little  about  what  the  next  fifty  years  will  bring 
forth.  But  before  I  attempt  to  give  you  the  slightest  sug- 
gestion of  what  I  believe  will  happen  I  would  like  to  recall 
to  your  minds  briefly  what  wonderful  things  came  out  of 
the  last  fifty  years. 

To  speak  alone  of  one  thing, — electricity.  What  wonders 
have  come  out  of  that  one  thing!  I  was  not  born  when 
you  had  your  last  celebration,  but  I  was  four  years  old 
when  the  first  electric  light  was  made, — the  very  first  one; 
and  that  was  long  before  the  electric  light  became  com- 
mercialized ;  yet  we  find  ourselves  thinking  now  that  elec- 
tricity has  always  been  with  us. 

I  am  about  the  age  of  the  telephone,  and  yet  we  hardly 

84 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

think  of  the  telephone  now,  any  more  than  we  do  of  the 
air  that  we  breathe ;  it  is  so  common.  We  were  reminded  of 
its  part  in  our  lives,  however,  a  short  while  ago  in  Boston, 
when  a  week's  strike  almost  disrupted  many  lines  of  busi- 
ness and  about  one-half  of  our  homes. 

Out  of  electricity  have  come  the  telephone,  electric  light 
and  power,  and  from  the  power  came  electric  cars.  The 
explosive  engine  was  not  possible  without  electricity.  And 
so  the  automobile  and  aeroplane  would  not  have  come  to 
us  were  it  not  for  the  explosive  engine.  The  graphophone 
is  another  result  of  electricity,  the  X-ray,  that  has  saved 
thousands  of  lives  and  millions  of  dollars,  and  the  moving 
pictures,  perhaps  the  youngest  member  of  electricity's 
family. 

What  tremendous  things  have  come  out  of  electricity! 
What  a  tremendous  difference  electricity  has  made  in  our 
lives! — just  those  few  children  of  electricity! 

And  there  should  be  added  two  other  things, — not  chil- 
dren of  electricity,  but  just  as  wonderful  as  any  of  them, 
and  perhaps  more  useful,  for  it  is  perhaps  due  to  their  dis- 
covery that  many  of  us  are  here  tonight  and  thousands  of 
others  are  living.  I  refer  to  the  antiseptic  method  of  sur- 
gery and  antitoxins. 

Most  of  the  above  named  inventions  and  discoveries  have 
been  developed  and  put  into  practical  use  in  the  last  half 
of  the  fifty  years  that  we  are  concerned  with.  That  is,  in 
the  last  twenty-five  years.  But  even  more  astounding, 
perhaps,  is  what  has  taken  place  in  the  last  five  years, 
which  is  only  a  tenth  part  of  the  period  we  are  concerned 
with. 

A  great  World  War  has  been  fought,  and,  we  hope,  the 
world  purged  of  much  of  its  evil  thereby.  One  of  the 
greatest  handicaps,  perhaps,  that  the  human  race  has  ever 
had  has  been  abolished  in  this  country,  we  believe, — namely, 
intoxicating  liquor.  Finally,  one  half  of  the  population 

85 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

for  me,  but  went  the  nine  miles  home,  all  uphill,  a  rise  of 
eleven  hundred  feet,  as  you  know,  in  less  time  than  it  was 
many  times  made  by  a  horse.  Because  I  was  going  home! 

And  that  is  the  thing  about  this  meeting  that  makes  it 
intimate  and  serious.  It  concerns  itself  with  home,  with 
the  days  of  youth,  the  days  of  small  things,  and  the  days 
of  impressions  that  are  most  deep  and  most  lasting. 

But  I  was  asked  by  your  committee  to  say  something  of 
the  future,  and  so  I  must  not  digress  further.  As  the  speaker 
intimated,  it  would  be  only  a  very  courageous  man  who 
would  attempt  to  forecast  for  more  than  a  day  what  is 
before  us.  I  doubt  if,  in  the  mad  race  which  we  are  all 
engaged  in,  we  ever  think  more  than  a  week  ahead.  At 
any  rate,  very  few  of  us  do.  A  decade  seems  like  an  age, 
as  we  look  forward  to  it,  and  when  we  realize  what  has  been 
achieved  in  the  world  since  you  had  your  last  celebration 
we  are  amazed.  Indeed,  the  race  has  traveled  very  far! 
It  becomes  all  the  more  astounding  when  we  realize  that 
most  of  the  wonderful  material  progress  has  come  in  the 
last  half  of  that  fifty-year  period. 

Your  committee  should  have  selected  a  man  with 
imagination — great  imagination — I  have  none — to  tell  you 
simply  a  little  about  what  the  next  fifty  years  will  bring 
forth.  But  before  I  attempt  to  give  you  the  slightest  sug- 
gestion of  what  I  believe  will  happen  I  would  like  to  recall 
to  your  minds  briefly  what  wonderful  things  came  out  of 
the  last  fifty  years. 

To  speak  alone  of  one  thing, — electricity.  What  wonders 
have  come  out  of  that  one  thing!  I  was  not  born  when 
you  had  your  last  celebration,  but  I  was  four  years  old 
when  the  first  electric  light  was  made, — the  very  first  one; 
and  that  was  long  before  the  electric  light  became  com- 
mercialized ;  yet  we  find  ourselves  thinking  now  that  elec- 
tricity has  always  been  with  us. 

I  am  about  the  age  of  the  telephone,  and  yet  we  hardly 

84 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

think  of  the  telephone  now,  any  more  than  we  do  of  the 
air  that  we  breathe ;  it  is  so  common.  We  were  reminded  of 
its  part  in  our  lives,  however,  a  short  while  ago  in  Boston, 
when  a  week's  strike  almost  disrupted  many  lines  of  busi- 
ness and  about  one-half  of  our  homes. 

Out  of  electricity  have  come  the  telephone,  electric  light 
and  power,  and  from  the  power  came  electric  cars.  The 
explosive  engine  was  not  possible  without  electricity.  And 
so  the  automobile  and  aeroplane  would  not  have  come  to 
us  were  it  not  for  the  explosive  engine.  The  graphophone 
is  another  result  of  electricity,  the  X-ray,  that  has  saved 
thousands  of  lives  and  millions  of  dollars,  and  the  moving 
pictures,  perhaps  the  youngest  member  of  electricity's 
family. 

What  tremendous  things  have  come  out  of  electricity! 
What  a  tremendous  difference  electricity  has  made  in  our 
lives! — just  those  few  children  of  electricity! 

And  there  should  be  added  two  other  things, — not  chil- 
dren of  electricity,  but  just  as  wonderful  as  any  of  them, 
and  perhaps  more  useful,  for  it  is  perhaps  due  to  their  dis- 
covery that  many  of  us  are  here  tonight  and  thousands  of 
others  are  living.  I  refer  to  the  antiseptic  method  of  sur- 
gery and  antitoxins. 

Most  of  the  above  named  inventions  and  discoveries  have 
been  developed  and  put  into  practical  use  in  the  last  half 
of  the  fifty  years  that  we  are  concerned  with.  That  is,  in 
the  last  twenty-five  years.  But  even  more  astounding, 
perhaps,  is  what  has  taken  place  in  the  last  five  years, 
which  is  only  a  tenth  part  of  the  period  we  are  concerned 
with. 

A  great  World  War  has  been  fought,  and,  we  hope,  the 
world  purged  of  much  of  its  evil  thereby.  One  of  the 
greatest  handicaps,  perhaps,  that  the  human  race  has  ever 
had  has  been  abolished  in  this  country,  we  believe, — namely, 
intoxicating  liquor.  Finally,  one  half  of  the  population 

85 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

heretofore  disqualified  from  taking  part  in  our  government 
is  now  to  be  admitted  to  full  partnership  in  government. 
Women  are  about  to  come  into  full  suffrage.  Therefore, 
with  these  three  tremendous  happenings  in  the  last  five 
years,  who  can  say  what  five  years  more  will  unfold,  to  say 
nothing  of  what  the  next  fifty  years  will  reveal! 

But,  my  friends,  I  venture  that  in  the  next  fifty  years — 
and  whether  in  the  first  twenty-five  or  the  last  twenty-five 
I  do  not  say,  but  in  the  next  fifty  years — we  will  have 
turned  our  attention  to  art,  to  the  finer  side  of  nature,  to  a 
greater  extent  than  we  have  in  the  past.  I  think  the  coarse, 
material  age  is  about  ready  to  stop  for  a  breathing  spell. 
And  what  will  it  mean? 

First,  it  will  mean  wonderful  things  in  education.  We 
will  educate  to  live  and  for  life,  both.  Schools  will  combine 
living  and  life,  and  I  hope  those  two  will  be  combined  so 
that  neither  one  will  run  away  with  the  other. 

Secondly,  I  believe  that  we  will  do  more  to  beautify  the 
places  wherein  we  live,  the  towns  and  cities,  than  we  ever 
have  done  before. 

Have  you  ever  considered  what  we  have  done  with  the 
most  beautiful  things  that  Nature  has  given  to  us, — our 
rivers?  We  have  settled  upon  them.  We  have  harnessed 
them.  We  have  made  them  unsightly,  instead  of  using 
them  for  what  I  think  some  day  we  will  come  to  see  was 
their  real  and  most  important  function. 

We  have  allowed  the  railroads  to  run  through  the  parlors 
of  our  houses, — right  through  the  center  of  the  towns. 
We  have  built  our  guest  houses — the  hotels — in  congested 
districts  and  upon  railroads.  We  have  not  tried  to  show 
strangers  the  place  where  we  live  and  to  make  them  com- 
fortable and  happy  while  with  us,  so  that  they  would  talk 
pleasantly  of  us  when  they  went  away;  but  we  have  been 
more  concerned  in  putting  them  where  we  could  commer- 
cialize them. 

86 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

Now,  I  think  those  things  are  going  to  pass  in  the  next 
fifty  years.  I  hope  in  the  first  part  of  it,  too,  because  I 
wish  to  live  to  see  it  happen.  But  if  it  does  not  come  until 
the  last  part  of  it,  even  then  will  this  prophecy  be  fulfilled. 

Now  I  wish  to  make  the  suggestion  concrete.  I  believe 
you  will  retain  the  Green, — a  cameo  on  the  breast  of  the 
town.  At  any  rate,  I  hope  you  will.  I  believe  that  you 
will  establish  on  one  of  the  four  corners  of  it  a  great  City 
Hall, — for  this  town  will  be  a  city  in  a  few  years,  and  in 
fifty  years  from  now  it  will  have  a  population  of  75,000 
people,  at  least.  On  another  corner  of  the  Green  will  be 
built  a  great  Chamber  of  Commerce ;  on  the  third  corner  a 
Community  House, — a  house  for  community  interests, 
where  all  interests  may  be  welded  and  amalgamated, — a 
melting  pot,  as  some  people  vulgarly  put  it  sometimes;  and, 
lastly,  on  the  fourth  corner  you  will  have  the  old  Atheneum 
— but  probably  called  the  Public  Library.  And  with  these 
four  edifices,  representing  government,  industry,  commu- 
nity co-operation  and  interest,  and  mental  development  and 
recreation,  you  will  have  the  ideals  of  the  old  town  as  they 
have  been  enunciated  here  this  evening,  and  which  have 
made  Westfield  great,  and  will  make  it  even  greater,  as  the 
fathers  intended. 

At  that  time  I  think  you  will  have  great  broad  highways 
crossing  at  about  the  Green,  running  east  and  west  and 
north  and  south.  I  hope  that  you  will  extend  Broad  Street 
at  its  present  width  directly  south  to  the  sister  town  of 
Southwick,  which  in  the  day  I  speak  of  will  be  annexed  to, 
and  a  part  of,  the  city  of  Westfield.  I  believe  that,  run- 
ning north  from  the  Green,  Elm  Street  will  be  made  a  con- 
tinuation of  Broad  Street.  Great  River  will  be  unchained, 
the  dam  removed  and  the  river  bed  sunk.  The  banks  will 
be  grass  or  flower  covered,  with  no  white  sand  islands  ap- 
pearing in  the  lowlands  nine  months  of  the  year.  The  river 
will  be  a  line  of  beauty. 

87 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

Your  Boston  &  Albany  Railroad  will  be  diverted  as  far 
back  as  Lee's  Crossing,  to  the  east  of  Sunset  Hill  and  Upper 
Pochassic,  joining  the  present  line  again  below  Woronoco. 
The  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad  will  use 
the  Boston  &  Albany  tracks  from  the  East  Mountain  dis- 
trict to  Lee's  Crossing,  and  then  by  a  new  route  of  its  own 
across  Little  River,  joining  the  present  location  below  the 
old  Southwick  line. 

Your  hotels  will  be  on  your  terraces  to  the  east  and  to 
the  west  of  the  town, — one  on  Prospect  Hill,  with  a  golf 
course  attached,  that  will  extend  away  nearly  to  Camp 
Bartlett.  Another  hotel  on  the  terrace  to  the  west,  where 
your  present  Country  Club  house  stands,  with  a  golf  course 
extending  along  the  ridges  of  the  river. 

You  will  have  four  of  the  best  air  route  stations  in  West- 
ern Massachusetts,  one  standing  on  each  point  of  the  com- 
pass. Travel  by  railroad  in  the  future  will  be  very  little 
known.  Nearly  all  travel  of  any  distance  will  be  through 
the  air.  Street  cars  will  be  only  a  memory.  Horses  will 
not  be  allowed  within  the  city  limits,  and  can  only  be  seen 
as  curiosities  in  corrals  and  equitation  fields.  The  streets 
will  be  paved  with  a  noiseless  substance  and  cleaned  by 
vacuum  process. 

You  will  have,  perhaps  in  the  location  beyond  the 
present  Woronoco  Park,  a  large  campus,  with  a  beautiful 
cluster  of  Normal  School  buildings  on  one  side  of  it,  in 
which  courses  will  be  offered  that  will  prepare  teachers  for 
every  grade  offered  in  the  public  schools.  On  the  other 
side  of  that  campus  will  be  a  beautiful  cluster  of  buildings 
called  the  State  University. 

To  the  south  will  be  clustered  all  your  manufacturing 
industries,  and  not  a  wheel  of  one  of  them  turned  by  power 
made  on  their  sites.  They  will  be  run  by  electricity, 
which  will  be  generated  far  beyond  the  city  limits,  on  the 
hills  to  the  west,  where  there  is  abundant  water  power  now 

88 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

wasted.  There  will  be  no  coal,  with  its  smoke  nuisance, 
used  in  generating  power. 

The  farming  land  from  Westfield  River  Valley  to  the 
Farmington  River  Valley  will  be  used  as  intensively  as  the 
farming  land  of  Germany  was  used  before  the  war.  It  will 
be  covered,  I  hope,  with  a  goodly  number  of  the  returning 
soldiers,  who  have  already  applied  for  opportunity  to  own 
and  develop  farm  land.  Then  every  year  you  will  see  upon 
those  hillsides  the  annual  encampment  of  the  American 
Legion, — the  men  who  actually  fought  for  and  preserved  our 
liberties. 

Forests  will  be  grown  and  tended  as  crops  are  now.  New 
England,  I  am  astounded  to  find,  now  has  to  import  about 
one  half  of  the  lumber  that  it  uses  for  building  purposes. 
I  can  remember  the  day  when  New  England  exported 
lumber,  and  that  day  will  come  again,  I  hope.  But  it 
cannot  come  unless  forests  are  cultivated. 

Now,  if  you  can  for  a  moment  look  at  the  picture  of 
Westfield  fifty  years  from  now,  you  will  not  feel  a  bit  more 
astounded  than  the  people  who  were  here  fifty  years  ago, 
and  did  not  stay  but  a  year  or  two  after  that  time,  would 
feel  today, — as  one  speaker  has  already  said,  if  they  were  to 
return  and  see  it  now. 

I  heard  a  story  a  short  time  ago  of  a  man  who  had  been 
dead  forty  or  fifty  years  and  suddenly  returned  to  earth. 
He  found  it  so  hard  to  accustom  himself  to  the  traffic 
underneath  the  ground  in  the  large  cities,  as  well  as  on  the 
surface  and  in  the  air,  that,  without  saying  which  of  the 
two  places  he  came  from,  he  expressed  a  desire  to  return 
immediately. 

And  so,  friends  of  Westfield,  this  little  picture  that  I 
have  drawn  is  so  short  of  what  will  actually  befall  in  the 
next  fifty  years,  so  short  of  the  actual  exploits  and  achieve- 
ments that  will  have  come  when  this  town  is  again  cele- 
brating her  birthday,  the  three  hundredth,  that  I  think  I 

89 


WESTPIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

shall  apologize  for  it.  But  I  do  say  to  you,  that  if,  after 
the  purging  of  the  war  of  the  last  five  years,  with  the  two 
great  forces, — one  evil,  about  to  end ;  the  other  constructive, 
about  to  begin, — I  say  that  if  you  cannot  get  somewhere  in 
the  next  fifty  years  far  beyond  the  imagination  of  anybody 
now  living  to  suggest,  even,  it  will  be  because  you  have  not 
followed  the  ideals  that  have  been  West  field's  for  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years, — it  will  be  because  the  vigor  and  enter- 
prise and  initiative  and  ingenuity  of  the  American  people 
in  this  section  have  failed.  But  I  cannot  believe  that  they 
will  fail. 


90 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY  . 

MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER   i,  1919 
LABOR   DAY 

"Gayly  decorated  booths  all  around  the  Green  blos- 
somed forth  today  with  soft  beverages,  banners  and  'red 
hots,'  to  say  nothing  of  the  dozens  of  other  articles  offered 
for  sale.  The  historical  exhibit  and  Hostess  House  on 
Broad  Street  were  visited  by  scores,  who  especially  admired 
the  New  England  cabin  interior;  and  the  tea  room  was 
well  patronized.  The  Boy  Scouts  erected  a  tent  head- 
quarters next  door  south  of  the  Hostess  House  and  radiated 
from  there  all  over  town  selling  souvenir  programs. 

"This,  the  second  day  of  the  25oth  Anniversary  Cele- 
bration opened  with  a  parade  by  the  Westfield  Brass  Band 
from  in  front  of  the  Town  Hall  to  the  M.  B.  Whitney  play- 
ground on  the  south  bank  of  the  Westfield  River,  which 
at  the  jubilee  of  fifty  years  ago  was  under  water  because 
of  the  flood  which  wrought  all  manner  of  havoc.  Here 
Uncle  Sam's  dare-devil  acrobats  in  khaki,  on  spirited, 
careening  mounts,  gave  an  exhibition  which  will  long  be 
remembered  by  the  three  thousand  Westfieldians  and 
guests  who  witnessed  the  stunts  performed.  The  riding 
took  place  in  plain  sight  of  the  grand-stand  and  bleachers, 
but  just  northwest  of  the  diamond. 

"The  program  of  the  cavalry  troopers  from  Fort  Ethan 
Allen,  Vt.,  first  of  all  displayed  the  regular  cavalry  drill  in 
troop  formation.  Then  there  was  executed,  with  splendid 
horsemanship,  a  fancy  drill  by  the  whole  troop.  This 
involved  spirals,  corkscrews  and  the  double  circle.  One 
of  the  most  dramatic  parts  of  the  whole  performance  was 
what  is  termed  the  'rescue  race.'  Cavalrymen  came  onto 
the  field,  dismounted  and  fired  their  guns  as  a  signal  of 
distress  as  they  would  do  if  their  horses  had  been  shot 
under  them.  Their  companions  then  dashed  into  view 


WESTF1ELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

and  effected  a  rescue.  Cossack  riding,  cross-stirrup  fashion 
and  standing  up,  furnished  thrills  a-plenty  for  the  specta- 
tors. But  doubtless  the  most  thrill-starting  number  of  all 
was  the  Roman  race  with  one  man  astride  two  horses.  A 
couple  of  the  men  performed  the  'monkey  drill,'  which  is 
often  done  in  the  Wild  West  shows;  also  in  range  riding 
they  did  the  Wild  West  saddle  vault  and  picked  up  hand- 
kerchiefs from  the  ground  with  ease.  Another  drove  a 
team  of  four  horses,  and  two  others  risked  their  necks  to 
supply  fun  for  the  crowds  which  swarmed  the  fields  and 
slopes  around. 

"The  troop  was  made  up  of  sixty-five  men,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  its  many  horses,  brought  with  it  two  motor-trucks 
and  an  automobile  side-car.  The  men  have  been  sleeping 
out  in  the  open  in  pup  tents  since  their  arrival  early  Sun- 
day. This  morning  at  11.56,  at  the  shrill  of  a  whistle,  six 
of  the  troop's  nine,  dust-colored,  large  tents  went  up  into 
place  simultaneously,  and  soon  tent-stakes  were  pounded 
in  and  the  men  had  things  shipshape  for  any  kind  of 
weather.  The  troop  will  march  in  the  big  parade  on  Wed- 
nesday afternoon." — The  Springfield  Republican. 

BASEBALL  COMMITTEE 
WILLIAM  J.  CHAPMAN,  Chairman 

Baseball  enthusiasts  keenly  enjoyed  the  baseball  throw- 
ing contests  and  the  base-running  contests  which  were 
held  Monday  morning  on  the  Whitney  playgrounds.  Par- 
ticipants were  stationed  far  out  in  the  field,  and  attempted 
to  throw  the  sphere  so  as  to  hit  the  home-plate.  John 
Dowd  won  the  first  prize,  and  Lester  Robinson  the  second 
prize.  Henry  Miller  won  first  prize  in  the  base-running 
contest  and  "Clickey"  Clark  came  out  second.  The  first 
prize  in  each  contest  was  $3,  with  $2  as  a  second  prize. 


92 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

SHOP  LEAGUE  BALL  GAME 

One  of  the  most  enjoyable  events  of  the  morning  was 
the  baseball  game  between  the  two  leading  teams  of  the 
Westfield  shop  league.  The  Westfield  Manufacturing 
team  had  hoped  to  be  one  of  the  two  teams  to  play,  but 
the  Foster  Machine  Company  and  the  H.  B.  Smith  Com- 
pany nines  finally  were  the  ones  to  clash.  The  Foster 
players  defeated  the  foundrymen  4  to  o  in  a  game  of  tense 
moments. 

Monday  afternoon  the  central  streets  of  the  town  were 
jammed  with  hundreds  of  automobiles  bearing  parties  from 
nearly  all  points  in  Western  New  England  to  the  historical 
pageant  at  Wolfpit  meadows.  The  police  should  be  com- 
plimented upon  the  masterly  way  in  which  they  handled 
the  immense  influx  of  traffic.  The  Boy  Scouts  who  helped 
in  many  places  also  deserve  much  commendation. 

Crane  Park  was  black  with  the  cars  parked  there  under 
a  check-system  of  the  Pageant  Parking  Committee,  who 
agree  that  over  twelve  hundred  cars  were  accommodated, 
and  the  number  of  people  attending  the  pageant  was  esti- 
mated to  be  from  eight  to  ten  thousand. 

The  diversions  in  the  evening  were  more  of  the  "homey" 
than  spectacular  sort.  "Visiting  round"  was  in  order  and 
many  from  out  of  town  called  on  old  acquaintances.  There 
were  informal  family  reunions,  notable  among  which  was 
a  reunion  of  the  descendants  of  General  William  Shepard 
with  about  forty  in  attendance.  In  this  group  was  former 
Senator  Wetmore  of  Rhode  Island,  great-grandson  of 
General  Shepard,  and  one  who  contributed  largely  to  the 
Monument  Fund.  Candles  glowed  warmly  in  not  a  few 
windows  and  crowds  were  out  to  listen  to  the  band  con- 
certs at  eight  o'clock.  The  iO4th  Regiment  band  played 
on  Two-mile  Falls  Park  and  Short's  Band  on  the  Green. 


93 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


PAGEANT  OF  WESTFIELD 

PRESENTED  AT 

WOLFPIT  MEADOWS 
MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  i,  1919 

EXECUTIVE  BOARD 

MRS.  PATTY  LEE  WATERMAN  CLARK,  Chairman 
WILLIAM  K.  BUSCHMANN  MRS.  MARY  MYERS  PARKER 

MRS.  GRACE  DILLON  DOHERTY          MRS.  FRANCES  ABBOTT  SACKETT 
MRS.  HARRIET  DYSON  ELY  REV.  ROBERT  KEATING  SMITH 

MRS.  ELIZABETH  BUSH  FOWLER        Miss  CATHERINE  E.  VEASY 
EDGAR  LATHROP  GILLETT  MRS.  EVA  PHELPS  WRIGHT 

EDWIN  BANCROFT  HEDGES 

Pageant  arranged  and  staged  under  the  direction  of 
HARRY  E.  MUNSEY  AND  Miss  JOSEPHINE  C.  REED 

MUSICAL  DIRECTOR 
E.  R.  HAWLEY 

HISTORICAL  CENSORS 

Loins  M.  DEWEY  REV.  JOHN  H.  LOCKWOOD 

FRANK  GRANT  Lucius  F.  THAYER 

JAMES  C.  GREENOUGH  MRS.  MARIA  MOSELEY  WHITNEY 


94 


Wolfpit  Meadows 
Part  of  the  Audience 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


PAGEANT  COMMITTEES 
COSTUMES 

MRS.  GRACE  DILLON  DOHERTY,  Chairman 
MRS.  HELEN  GOODELL  HULL,  Vice- Chairman 

MRS.  L.  CORNELIUS  ATWATER  MRS.  ESTHER  HAYS 

MRS.  E.  D.  AVERY  MRS.  SADIE  KNOX 

MRS.  J.  W.  BENJAMIN  MRS.  J.  EDWARD  MESICK 

MRS.  HENRY  E.  BOLTON  MRS.  HARRY  S.  MILLER 

MRS.  EUGENE  BRISETTE  MRS.  A.  F.  OSBORNE    £j 

Miss  CARRIE  CAMPBELL  MRS.  COLLINS  POMEROY. 

MRS.  FRANCIS  CAOUETTE  MRS.  F.  A.  PHELPS 

MRS.  ORVILLE  C.  CARPENTER  MRS.  C.  K.  PRINCE 

MRS.  WILLIAM  J.  CHAPMAN  MRS.  E.  J.  ROBERTSON 

MRS.  GEORGE  W.  CLAPP  MRS.  HERBERT  O.  SANFORL. 

MRS.  GEORGE  W.  COLLIER  MRS.  FRED  SCHMIDT 

MRS.  G.  W.  DEMING  MRS.  ROBERT  J.  TUBES 

MRS.  FRANK  H.  DORMAN  MRS.  MARY  TWINING 
MRS.  FREDERICK  N.  FERRY 

OLD-FASHIONED  COSTUMES 
Miss  ELIZABETH  M.  HOOKER  MRS.  GRACE  WELLER  LOOMIS 

FUNDS 

WILLIAM    K.    BUSCHMANN,    Chairman 
Miss  MARY  E.  LYMAN,  Vice-Chairman 
CHARLES  E.  AVERY  HARRIS  B.  MOULTON 

PAGEANT  GROUNDS 


EDGAR  L.  GILLETT,  Chairman 
WILLIAM  K.  BUSCHMANN 
EDWIN  B.  HEDGES 


Vice-  Chairmen 


REV.  ROBERT  KEATING  SMITH 

RALPH  D.  GILLETT,  JR.  DAVID|MOSELEY 

JAMES  HAGAR  FREDERICK  L.  PARKER 

GEORGE  JACHYM  RALPH  A.  PRINCE     -,« 

JOHN  R.  KIRWIN  CHARLES  REHOR 

THOMAS  T.  LOGIE  GEORGE  W.  RORABACK,  JR. 
GEORGE  W.  LOOMIS 

95 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 


MISCELLANEOUS 

MRS.  MARY  MYERS  PARKER,  Chairman 

C.  K.  PRINCE,  Vice-Chairman 

Miss  ANNA  CLARK  MRS.  H.  C.  WASHBURN 

MRS.  H.  ARTHUR  KERNEN  MRS.  GEORGE  A.  UPSON 

MRS.  LEWIS  C.  PARKER 

MUSIC 

EDWIN   B.    HEDGES,    Chairman 
E.  R.  HAWLEY,   Vice-Chairman 

LUTHER  ALLEN  Miss  IDA  LYONS 

REV.  W.  S.  AYRES  CLARENCE  MILLER 

Miss  LENA  J.  BARTLETT  MRS.  HAROLD  MOORE 

Miss  ALICE  C.  BROWN  Miss  ELIZABETH  WINSLOW 

Miss  MARY  FURBER  MRS.  J.  FREEMAN  WOOD 
RUDOLPH  KRATOCHVIL 

PUBLICITY 

MRS.  HARRIET  DYSON  ELY,  Chairman 
EDWARD  G.  CLARK,  Vice- Chairman 
HARRY  BAILEY  MRS.  H.  C.  LANE 

MRS.  ROGER  BUTLER  ARTHUR  LONG 

HEMPSTEAD  CASTLE  MRS.  J.  WELLS  LOOMIS 

ROY  CHAMBERS  MATHER  MOSELY 

THOMAS  R.  COOLEY  FREDERICK  J.  TOOKE 

J.  CHAMBERS  DEWEY  BERNARD  C.  WOLCOTT 

TALENT 

MRS.  FRANCES  ABBOTT  SACKETT,  Chairman 
REV.  ROBERT  KEATING  SMITH 


Miss  CATHERINE  E.  VEASY 


Vice- Chairmen 


MRS.  EVA  PHELPS  WRIGHT 

WILLIAM  AHERN  MRS.  EDWARD  CARROLL 

Miss  IDA  ASHLEY  MRS.  MILES  D.  CHISHOLM 

Miss  HELEN  AUSTIN  MRS.  DONALD  CLARK 

MRS.  W.  S.  AYRES  MRS.  GEORGE  CLARK 

MRS.  CHARLES  H.  BEALS  Miss  DELLA  COUSE 

DONALD  BRIDGMAN  MRS.  FRANK  COWLES 

MRS.  MARGUERITE  FOWLER  BRIDG-  MRS.  EDWARD  CROTTY 

MAN  MRS.  WILLIAM  P.  DOUGHERTY 

96 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


CHARLES  F.  ELY 
MRS.  LELAND  OILMAN 
MRS.  FREDERICK  GOODWIN 
MRS.  EDWIN  B.  HEDGES 
MRS.  JOHN  HIBBS 
CHARLES  HICKSON 
MRS.  ROBERT  HOLLISTER 
MRS.  JOHN  L.  HYDE 
MRS.  CHARLES  J.  ILES 
MRS.  GEORGE  H.  JANES 
MRS.  Louis  L.  KEEFE 
Miss  MILDRED  KOBERA 
HARRY  C.  LANE 
Miss  MARY  LONG 
MRS.  DENNISON  LOOMIS 
MRS.  PETER  MALONE 
MRS.  JAMES  MCCARTHY 


ROBERT  MCMAHON 
MRS.  HOWARD  NOBLE 
MRS.  MORRIS  POMERANZ 
MRS.  GEORGE  PRATT 
MRS.  BURTON  A.  PRINCE 
Miss  MILDRED  REHOR 
JAMES  G.  RIVERS 
MRS.  FLORENCE  SACKETT  RIVERS 
MRS.  ARCHIE  D.  ROBINSON 
MRS.  FREDERICK  H.  SCOTT 
MRS.  FREDERICK  F.  SHEPARD 
MRS.  MATTHEW  W.  SHINE 
MRS.  HARRIET  STRONG 
MRS.  HENRY  G.  TAYLOR 
MRS.  MICHAEL  WHOLEAN 
MRS.  CHARLES  B.  WILSON 


TICKETS 


MRS.  ELIZABETH  BUSH  FOWLER,  Chairman 
GEORGE  E.  ROBINSON,  Vice-Chairman 


MRS.  CHESTER  H. 
MRS.  S.  AUGUSTUS  ALLEN 
MRS.  LEWIS  B.  ALLYN 
MRS.  COLLINS  ATWATER 
MRS.  CHARLES  H.  BARTLETT 
MRS.  JAMES  H.  CLARK 
MRS.  D.  M.  COLE 
MRS.  CHARLES  COOLEY 
MRS.  HARRY  COWLES 
MRS.  J.  M.  DUTTON 
EDWARD  T.  FOWLER 
DARWIN  L.  GILLETT 
MRS.  DARWIN  L.  GILLETT 
Miss  LUCY  D.  GILLETT 
MRS.  JAMES  HAGAR 
MRS.  E.  R.  HAWLEY 
Miss  ELIZABETH  M.  HOOKER 


MRS.  GEORGE  HUBBARD 

MRS.   JE ANNETTE  ATWATER   IVES 

Miss  MARY  KASPER 

MRS.  JOSEPH  A.  KENYON 

MRS.  ROBERT  LANE 

MRS.  LILLIE  LAMBSON  LILLEY 

MRS.  ELIZABETH  WAY  LOZIER 

MRS.  RICHARD  J.  MORRISSEY 

MRS.  NAN  WILCOX  MOSELEY 

MRS.  MARY  SNOW  PARKER 

MRS.  BERTHA  BROOKS  PARKS 

MRS.  HELEN  SADOWSKI 

MRS.  FLORENCE  ELY  SMITH 

MRS.  JAMES  TAYLOR 

Miss  MARY  S.  THAYER 

MRS.  JENNIE  AUSTIN  WARREN 


97 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


SYNOPSIS    OF    PAGEANT 

EPISODE  I 
FATHER  TIME  AND  THE  DAWN  OF  CREATION 

In  the  distance  a  form  can  be  seen  approaching  accompanied  by  many 
white-draped  figures.  These  are  followed  by  a  group  of  beautiful  wraith- 
like  creatures,  clad  in  exquisite  colors,  with  veils  drawn  over  their  faces. 
As  they  advance,  voices  are  heard  singing  a  weird  chant.  Behold!  It  is 
Father  Time  who  sings:  "I  come  I  know  not  whence, — I  go  I  know  not 
whither, — for  I  am  Time."  Thus  he  passes  on  with  his  ghostly  followers. 
But  the  others  remain,  and  as  the  chanting  almost  imperceptably  changes 
to  soft  music  and  the  alluring  strains  increase  in  volume,  they  lift  their 
veils  and  begin  a  dance  symbolizing  "The  Dawn  of  Creation."  This 
dance  of  joy  is  suddenly  interrupted  by  an  Indian  war-whoop,  and  they 
flee  in  confusion. 

Father  Time   .  GEORGE  BAILEY 


CHORUS 


BEATRICE  ABELL 
FRANK  BODURTHA 
PAUL  BRODEUR 
CHARLES  BRAZEE 
CARL  BOYD 
RUTH  BAILEY 
MINNIE  BUSCHMANN 
ELSIE  BEAUDRY 
MARGARET  BARRY 
MARION  BROWN 
GORDON  COBURN 
ROBERT  COTTER 
WALTER  Q.  CARL 
MICHAEL  CORCORAN 
NAN  CARL 
MARJORIE  CADLE 
NAN  CHAPMAN 
NELLIE  CARR 
INEZ  B.  CHATLOS 
AGNES  CHAPMAN 
NORA  DOWD 
JAMES  ELLIOT 
CHARLES  F.  ELY 


RALPH  EMERSON 
ARCHIE  FINLAY 
THOMAS  FERRITER 
NAN  FERRITER 
RAYMOND  GIBBS 
RICHARD  GAYLORD 
CARLYLE  GOWDY 
ANNIE  GIBBONS 
ANNA  GEEHREN 
JOSEPH  HOLSINGER 
HOWARD  HERRICK 
JAMES  HALLORAN 
MILDRED  HUBER 
MARY  HOWARD 
MAIDA  HANCHETT 
DOROTHY  HUBBARD 
DOROTHY  HAMER 
WILLIAM  KOBERA 
HAROLD  KING 
JOSEPH  KVITSKY 
ALICE  KEEFE 
MRS.  KINARD 
ANNA  KENNEDY 


98 


o 

-C 

U 


CTS 

UH 


C 

5 


•Mi 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND    FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

MARION  KLAR  HOWARD  SMITH 

EVELYN  KLAR  AGNES  SULLIVAN 

JOHN  LYNCH  GRACE  SHEA 

IDA  LYONS  ANNA  SEARLE 

WILLIAM  MCGRATH  LEAH  SIME 

FLORENCE  MAHONEY  ELSIE  SMITH 

MILDRED  MOORE  ARTHUR  TIERNEY 

ANNA  B.  NELSON  ROBERT  TUBES 

ARTHUR  PORTER  HERBERT  WEBSTER 

MRS.  BURTON  A.  PRINCE  J.  FREEMAN  WOOD 

GENEVIEVE  PRATT  JOSEPH  WHOLEAN 

ELENE  PORTER  FRANCIS  WHOLEAN 

DUDLEY  SHAW  ELIZABETH  WATERS 

HAROLD  STEVENS  SADIE  WATERS 

CREATION  BALLET 

ELIZABETH  BARNES  JOSEPHINE  KENYON 

LEONA  BARRE  GENEVIEVE  JOHNSON 

EULA  BUSH  RUTH  LANE 

HELEN  BOLTON  BETTY  LEVIE 

PHYLLIS  COOLEY  LEONIE  LEVIE 

THELMA  CHAMBERS  BLANCHE  LE  VERE 

VIRGINIA  COSBY  FRANCES  MANNING 

JANICE  COOPER  ELIZABETH  MARTIN 

MARGARET  CRANE  MARJORIE  MCWORTHY 

EDITH  CLARK  MARY  MAHONEY 

MARY  DOOLIN  IRENE  MILLER 

SUSAN  DOOLIN  HAZEL  OTTO 

MARJORIE  ELLIS  GLADYS  POMERANZ 

GRACE  FERRITER  ROBERTA  KING 

BEATRICE  FERRITER  ELLA  RICE 

ETHEL  FULLER  JANE  RICE 

HELEN  GOODMAN  HELEN  SPELLMAN 

ANNIE  GIBBONS  RUTH  SUNDBERG 

BARBARA  HEDGES  ALMEDA  TAYLOR 

ELEANOR  HEDGES  FLORENCE  TYLER 

VESTA  GANNETT  JESSIE  WILLIAMS 
MARY  KASPER 

CHAPERONES 

MRS.  G.  W.  DEMING  Miss  CATHERINE  WESSON 

MRS.  LELAND  M.  GILMAN  MRS.  S.  LEROY  LEVIE 

99 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  INDIANS 

When  this  land  was  first  explored  by  Europeans  it  was  inhabited  by  the 
Red  Man.  Where  this  race  came  from,  how  many  years  it  had  dwelt 
here,  and  what  peoples  it  displaced,  we  do  not  know.  There  are  historians 
who  believe  that  the  Indians  were  preceded  by  another  race  who  built 
beautiful  palaces  and  large  cities,  which  long  ago  crumbled  into  dust. 
Others  suppose  that  mounds  and  various  evidences  of  an  earlier  occupa- 
tion were  the  works  of  the  ancestors  of  these  Indians.  Therefore,  with  no 
direct  knowledge  or  evidences  at  hand  of  the  ancestry  of  the  Red  Indian, 
their  coming  is  merely  symbolical. 

They  were  found  living  in  small  villages  and  scattered  in  roving  bands. 
Everywhere,  the  early  settlers  came  in  contact  with  these  people. 

Extremely  improvident,  they  cultivated  the  soil  very  little,  and  de- 
pended almost  entirely  upon  the  chase.  Hunting  and  dancing  constituted 
their  chief  enjoyment.  Their  great  interest  in  life  was  to  procure  food 
and  devour  it,  and  to  subdue  their  enemies. 

INDIAN  CAMP  WITH  ITS  PRIMITIVE  OCCUPATIONS 

Indian  braves  on  foot  and  on  horse-back  appear,  followed  by  their 
squaws  and  little  ones,  with  the  drags  on  which  are  their  tepees  and  simple 
equipment.  A  fire  is  started,  the  camp  is  set  up  and  the  primitive  home 
life  of  the  Indian  is  presented. 

INDIANS 
METACOMET  TRIBE  OF  RED  MEN 

Chief,  JOHN  FRASIER 
Runner,  FRED  J.  KILLIPS 

BRAVES 

EDWARD  J.  DURKIN  RAY  GIBBS 

VICTOR  DITZNER  ARTHUR  PORTER 

LEO  GELINAS  ALFRED  WEBB 

BENJAMIN  ANDREWS  ELLIS  ABELL 

GEORGE  GILMAN  WILLIAM  M  ALLEY 

EDWIN  SHEPARD  DONALD  WATSON 

HOWARD  GREEN  PHILIP  SAUNDERS 

GEORGE  STRONG  F.  LOGAN 

HARRY  MOSELY  HARRY  PENDLBTON 

WESLEY  BEST  H.  AGAN 

100 


TWO  HU  NDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


MATOAKA  COUNCIL  NO.   14 
DEGREE  OF  POCAHONTAS 

Miss  AGNES  VEASY  MRS.  HORACE  FULLER 

Miss  BESSIE  MALONE  Miss  MARY  SHAY 

MRS.  HARRY  MOSELY  Miss  M.  REGINA  HAMMOND 

MRS.  LINA  JONES  Miss  ANNA  I.  CARROLL 

MRS.  GEORGE  FARRELL  Miss  MARGARET  CLEARY 

MRS.  PETER  MALONE  Miss  CHRISTINE  MOORE 

Miss  KATHERINE  MALONE  MRS.  JOHN  MCDERMOTT 

Miss  EMMA  HEUN  Miss  MAY  MCDERMOTT 

Miss  CAROLINE  BERGMAN  Miss  ALICE  QUIMPER 
Miss  BLANCHE  CHASE 

INDIAN  BOYS 

ALLEN  BUSH  WILLIAM  O'BRIEN 

HOWARD  BURKE  GEORGE  O'BRIEN 

BERNARD  POMERANZ  JAMES  FITZGERALD 

FRED  KILLIPS  RICHARD  PORTER 

INDIAN  GIRLS 

MARGARET  BEST  MADELINE  NORTHRUP 

MARY  MOSELY  MARGARET  KILLIPS 

DOROTHY  STIMPSON  LENA  BISSELL 
MARGARET  SHAY 


101 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

EPISODE   II 
1636-1669 

About  1636,  the  company  of  William  Pynchon  and  Deacon  Chapin 
traveled  up  the  "Bay  Path"  from  Boston  to  Agawam,  afterward  Spring- 
field. 

Mary  Pynchon  met  John  Holyoke  on  the  journey  from  Boston,  and  they 
became  lovers  and  were  afterward  married.  In  his  story  called  "Bay 
Path,"  Dr.  Holland  has  Mary  Pynchon  name  Mount  Holyoke  after  her 
lover,  and  Mount  Tom  for  a  pet  deer. 

The  meeting  with  the  Indians  was  friendly,  and  after  the  land  was 
transferred,  the  "Pipe  of  Peace"  was  smoked.  This  ceremony  always 
followed  such  transactions  between  the  Indian  and  the  White  Man. 

The  meaning  of  the  written  deed  of  transfer  was  explained  to  the 
Indians,  and  their  representatives  signed  it  by  each  drawing  a  picture  on 
the  parchment. 
The  price  paid  was: 

10  fathoms  of  wampum  10  knives 

10  hatchets  10  blankets 

10  hoes 

The  western  portion  of  the  land  bought  by  William  Pynchon  and  the 
settlers  contained  a  trading-post  called  by  the  Indians  "Woronoke." 
Gradually  the  settlers  took  over  grants  of  land  at  "Woronoco,"  the  ear- 
liest recorded  being  in  1658.  Because  of  its  situation  at  the  fork  of  two 
rivers  which  were  watered  by  many  streams,  the  name  "  Streamfield " 
was  suggested;  but  in  1669  it  was  incorporated  as  the  Town  of  Westfield. 
This  historic  scene  is  depicted  in  Episode  II.  An  Indian  runner  comes 
bringing  some  portentious  message.  As  he  approaches,  the  chief  and 
other  braves  gather  round.  He  points  behind  him  and  in  the  distance  soon 
appears  the  little  band  of  settlers. 

After  signing  the  transfer  and  smoking  the  Peace-pipe,  John  Pynchon 
and  his  party  leave.  The  Indians  have  a  farewell  dance,  break  camp  and 
move  to  a  distant  place  where  they  again  set  up  their  tepees,  and  whence 
the  smoke  of  their  camp-fires  is  visible  throughout  the  next  few  scenes. 

William  Pynchon CHARLES  B.  WARREN 

Deacon  Chapin DEACON  FRANK  P.  SEARLE 

Mary  Pynchon Miss  NOONAN 

John  Pynchon HAROLD  HILTON 

John  Holyoke RICHARD  MORRISSEY,  JR. 

John  Woodcock RAYMOND  POWER 

Same  Indians  as  in  Episode  I 

I O2 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

EPISODE   III 

1676 

In  1676,  an  order  came  from  Boston  urging  the  inhabitants  to  abandon 
the  town  and  move  to  Springfield  for  protection  from  the  Indian  uprising 
known  as  "  King  Philip's  War." 

"If  you  people  be  averse  from  our  advice,"  wrote  Boston,  "we  must  be 
necessitated  to  draw  off  our  forces  from  them  (you),  for  we  can  not  spare 
them,  nor  supply  them  with  ammunition." 

A  meeting  was  held  with  all  the  settlers  attending,  and  after  very  little 
debating  they  returned  to  their  homes,  having  decided  to  ignore  the  order 
from  Boston.  .  .  .  "there  is  not  a  man  among  us  has  any  ye  least 
inclination  to  remove  that  way,"  they  replied. 

At  the  beginning  of  this  episode  children  are  playing  on  the  Green,  and 
men  are  busy  at  work,  when  a  messenger  arrives  by  way  of  a  canoe  on  the 
river.  Immediately  the  peaceful  scene  is  broken  by  the  voice  of  the  town- 
crier  calling  to  a  meeting.  All  come  running  to  the  Green  where  the  town 
clerk  reads  the  order  from  Boston.  After  the  vote  is  taken  they  all  kneel 
in  prayer  before  appointing  sentinels  and  making  other  arrangements  for 
their  own  defense. 

Town  Clerk JUDGE  ROBERT  C.  PARKER 

Town  Crier FRANK  THAYER 

Messenger        ELLSWORTH  CAMPBELL 

TOWNSPEOPLE 

RACHEL  PACKARD  MRS.  MYRON  CADY 

RUTH  MERRITT  F.  G.  FARR 

E.  R.  POST  MRS.  F.  G.  FARR 

D.  R.  LOOMIS  Miss  ANNIE  REISTER 
B.  H.  ELLIS  Miss  ELSIE  SUNDBERG 
GASTON  SMITH  Miss  HELEN  NYE 
FRED  CANNON  Miss  INA  MCKELVEY 
WILLIAM  J.  TATRO  Miss  MARY  CROWSON 
SIDNEY  PACKARD  Miss  MARY  ADZMA 
WRIGHT  PHILLIPS  W.  B.  NELSON 

DR.  G.  W.  DEMING  MRS.  W.  B.  NELSON 

CHARLES  COWLES  HARRY  PERSON 

E.  L.  GANNETT  JAMES  BLACK 
MRS.  FRANK  THAYER  Miss  LULA  DAVIS 
MYRON  CADY  Miss  MABEL  J.  LAMB 

CHAPERONES 

MRS.  MILES  D.  CHISHOLM  MRS.  E.  D.  HERRICK 

103 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 


THE  PIONEERS  CONQUERING  THE  WILDERNESS 

The  labors,  the  trials,  and  the  sufferings  of  the  pioneers  are  remarkable 
features  of  the  early  life.  The  long  and  distressful  winters,  with  sickness 
and  famine,  together  with  the  savage  warfare  of  the  Indians  were  very 
depressing;  but  by  a  determined,  holy  purpose  which  has  given  to  their 
times  the  tide  of  "the  heroic  age  of  the  Republic," — they  conquered. 

"The  Powers  of  the  Forest  and  Powers  of  the  River 

Here  shall  obey  thee,  working  thy  will; 
Pine  boughs  that  whisper,  aspens  that  quiver, 
Sing  to  thee,  'Conquer  still.'  " 

This  second  scene  of  Episode  III  is  a  symbolic  representation  of  the  pio- 
neers struggling  with  and  conquering  the  wilderness.  The  powers  of  the 
forest,  the  powers  of  the  river  and  the  mist-maidens,  portrayed  by  different 
groups  of  young  girls,  come  forth  in  obedience  to  the  call  of  the  Spirit  of 
the  Wilderness.  With  her  they  dance  their  symbolic  dances.  Then  a 
man  and  woman  are  seen  pressing  on,  encouraging  each  other  as  they  come. 
Upon  them  descend  the  powers  of  the  forest  who  circle  round  and  beat 
upon  them.  The  man  overcomes  them  with  his  strong  arm  only  to  be 
attacked  by  the  other  groups, — the  powers  of  the  river  and  the  mist-maid- 
ens. Fever,  clad  all  in  red,  attacks  him  while  the  wife  gathers  herbs  to 
make  him  cooling  drinks.  Gray  famine  follows,  but  is  also  overcome,  and 
finally  death  appears.  A  desperate  struggle  ensues,  out  of  which  the  man 
emerges  triumphant.  Then  the  Spirit  of  the  Wilderness  appears  offering 
obeisance  and  the  pioneers  pass  on  as  conquerors  with  those  whom  they 
have  subdued  in  attendance. 

Pioneer  Man RAYMOND  H.  COWING 

Pioneer  Woman MRS.  FLORENCE  ABBOTT  RIVERS 

Spirit  of  Wilderness Miss  FLORENCE  BARKER 

Fever Miss  ZILPAH  MEYER 

Famine Miss  MARY  KASPER 

Death HOWARD  HERRICK 

POWERS  OF  THE  FOREST 

ROSE  ANNUZZI  JENNIE  PAROLI 

HELEN  WELCH  MARY  BRYDA 

CLARA  O'DAY  ELIZABETH  MURPHY 

HELEN  O'DAY  VENETTA  BRISSETT 

ALICE  REDMOND  FRANCES  PITKIN 

MARY  DEPOPOLI  ALDORA  JAROSH 

104 


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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


ROSALIE  DEJKUS 
MILDRED  POLMATIER 
HELEN  BURKE 


FLORA  BERNAQUER 
ELIZABETH  WALSH 
MARY  DENTZNER 


CHAPERONES 


MRS.  PETER  MALONE 
Miss  MILDRED  WARNER 


Miss  MARGARET  BARRE 
Miss  ANNA  B.  NELSON 


POWERS  OF  THE  RIVER 


MARY  EVANS 
LEOTA  ABBOTT 
LUCY  DEVINE 
GERTRUDE  DEVINE 
NINA  CONNER 
MARY  MAHONEY 
MARY  KAN^: 
EILEEN  GRIFFIN 
AZOLA  BANKS 
EVA  CARLSON 


FERNE  TERWILLIGER 
HELEN  ONERFREY 
MILDRED  KOBERA 
MARGARET  BLANCHARD 
PAULINE  MARCOULLJER 
MAY  PIERCE 
RUTH  DUFFY 
SOPHIE  KALAFUT 
MARY  WARERSAK 


CHAPERONES 


MRS.  CHARLES  J.  ILES 
MRS.  GEORGE  H.  JANES 
MRS.  PETER  PROUT 


MRS.  BERT  RANGE 
Miss  NAN  CHAPMAN 
Miss  MILDRED  KOBERA 


EMMA  CONDEL 
NORA  MURPHY 
MARJORIE  O'DAY 
CATHERINE  HIBERT 
ROSALIE  GONZALEZ 
MAY  O'HARE 
LILLIAN  O'HARE 
ALICE  HOSMER 
IRENE  LA  FONDA 
THEODORA  NOBLE 
GRACE  FITZGERALD 
DORIS  NESBIT 


MRS.  PERCY  N.  HALL 
Miss  MAY  HASSLER 


MIST-MAIDENS 

FRANCES  BERGMAN 
MARION  LIPPE 
MIRIAM  RING 
LILLIAN  LOCKWOOD 
ELLA  NELSON 
KATHERINE  MURPHY 
DORIS  MACBRIAN 
JEAN  HALL 
MAY  TRYON 
MILDRED  BEAN 
BEULAH  CHAPMAN 

CHAPERONES 

Miss  FLORENCE  MAHONEY 


105 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 


EPISODE  IV 

1725 

In  1725  the  first  Dame  school  was  established  in  Westfield,  with  the 
"Widow"  Catherine  Noble  as  the  teacher.  The  Dame  pursued  her 
spinning  and  household  affairs  while  she  taught  the  children.  The  girls 
were  taught  to  sew  and  make  "samplers,"  while  lessons  were  given  by 
means  of  the  "Horn-book," — a  paddle-shaped  piece  of  wood  with  printed 
matter  fastened  on  it  under  a  layer  of  horn  so  thin  as  to  be  transparent. 

The  children  came  into  their  own  and  performed  realistic  antics  in 
Episode  IV,  as  they  came  trooping  onto  the  Green  accompanied  by  the 
"Widow"  Noble  and  her  spinning-wheel.  The  little  girls,  in  caps  and 
kerchiefs,  busied  themselves  with  samplers;  while  the  boys,  in  short  coats 
and  long  tight  trousers,  divided  their  attention  between  horn-books  and 
mischief. 

DAME  SCHOOL 
"Widow"  Catherine  Noble Miss  IRENE  CASH 

PUPILS 

KENNETH  NASH  ETTA  BEESAW 

HERBERT  WEBSTER  JULIA  DEPARO 

PAUL  BRODEUR  JOSEPHINE  OSPROWISKI 

VERNON  WAGER  ELOISE  TINKHAM 

ALFRED  SCHEIP  THELMA  ERASER 

EDWIN  HOSMER  ADELAIDE  WALL 

HERBERT  BRYANT  LAURA  BETTINGER 

DONALD  LOOMIS  FLORENCE  HANNUM 

ANDREW  TAGGART  SOPHIE  OSPROWISKI 
RUTH  STEARNS 

CHAPERONES 

MRS.  DENNISON  LOOMIS  MRS.  THOMAS  ROONEY 

Miss  DELLA  COUSE  MRS.  PETER  JENSEN 

MRS.  SAMUEL  WALL 


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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

EPISODE  V 
1776 

This  episode  deals  with  thrilling  Revolutionary  days.  A  messenger  is 
seen  hurrying  onto  the  Green,  bringing  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington. 
From  all  the  countryside  the  minute-men  rush  into  the  town,  a  few  with 
musket  or  sword,  many  with  implements  from  the  shop  or  farm,  but  all 
eager  to  fight,  and  shortly  a  company  of  seventy  men  under  Lieutenant 
John  Shepard  leaves  for  Boston;  while  sweethearts,  wives  and  children 
cling  to  them  and  bid  them  sorrowful  farewell. 

Lieutenant  John  Shepard     ....  SERGEANT  G.  LUKE  LAMB 

MINUTE-MEN 

RALPH  SIZER  WALTER  Q.  CARL 

ARTHUR  PORTER  HENRY  LOCKWOOD 

RAYMOND  POWER  JAMES  HALLORAN 

IRVING  BARNES  RAYMOND  EMERY 

RAYMOND  GIBBS  ELMER  TAYLOR 

EDWIN  SHEPARD  THOMAS  KILLIPS 

CHARLES  R.  KUPEC  EDWARD  DAVIS 

RICHARD  GAYLORD  R.  H.  LAMBSON 

J.  F.  McHucH  DUDLEY  SHAW 

WILLIAM  DANIELS  FRANK  BANTA 

AUSTIN  WARREN  HARRY  BARNES 

ROBERT  ROBERTS  HARRY  COLLINS 

GEORGE  RORABACK,  JR.  FRANK  ALDRICH 

RICHARD  MORRISSEY,  JR.  ARTHUR  LIZWELL 

GEORGE  HUTCHINSON  MERTON  EMERY 

ELMER  PENDLETON  GEORGE  Fox 

LEONARD  ATWATER  RAYMOND  ROBERTS 

MATTHEW  KALAFUT  WALTER  FAULKNER 

LEON  STOMSKY  HAROLD  GANNON 

W.  MORGAN  WADE  WALTER  RICE 

C.  C.  BABB  HUGH  LAMB 

RAYMOND  F.  FOWLER  GRANT  L.  LAMB 

MICHAEL  RUKOWICZ  ORTA  KENNEY 

THOMAS  COLLINS  J.  J.  KENNEDY 

HAROLD  WHITTEMORE  O.  ARKOETTE 

GEORGE  KEEFE  A.  CODDING 

WILLIAM  EVANCHAK  F.  BOYLAN 

107 


WESTFIELD 


MASSACHUSETTS 


N.  LEVERE 
F.  MOBRICE 

W.  F.  KOBERA 

LESTER  BAKER 
OSCAR  BAKER 
W.  J.  BENJAMIN 
H.  DUNCAN 
I.  DAGATUS 


F.  MACKAY 

J.  GEORGE  ROWE 

E.  REHOR 

E.  MESSENGER 

G.  CARLSON 
JAMES  DESMOND 
J.  E.  NOBLE 


TOWNSPEOPLE  IN  EPISODE  V 


MR.  AND  MRS.  ROBERT  LOOMIS 

ALICE  BERING 

MR.  AND  MRS.  CLINTON  SMITH  • 

MORRIS  POMERANZ  AND  FAMILY 

MRS.  TATRO  AND  CHILDREN 

MR.  AND  MRS.  FRANK  MERRILL 

MR.  AND  MRS.  GEORGE  TUCKER 

MR.  TERWILLIGER  AND  FAMILY 

MR.  DE  VORCHA  AND  FAMILY 

MR.  AND  MRS.  GEORGE  CLARK 

ALTHINE  CLARK 

Miss  LENA  WEST 

Miss  PRENTICE 

Miss  DURANCE  BANKS 

Miss  LODEMA  BANKS 

MR.  AND  MRS.  CHARLES  ALLEN 

EULA  BUSH 

MRS.  MOSSMAN 

MR.  AND  MRS.  FRANK  HARVEY 

CLAIRE  O'DAY 

MARGARET  WELCH 

HELEN  WELCH 

ESTHER  CRITTENDON 

JOSEPHINE  HUNT 

MRS.  HARRY  STILES 

ALICE  REDMOND 

MRS.  DAMBACKER 

EMMA  HINES 

CAROLINE  BERGMAN 

MARION  HOSMER 

MRS.  HARRY  KEYES 


WILLIAM  TOOPIN 

LILLIAN  TOOPIN 

MARIE  TOOPIN 

ANNIE  BOYLE 

JAMES  CLEARY 

MINNIE  BUSCHMANN 

MRS.  JANE  A.  PACKARD 

DR.  WILLIAM  P.  BURGE 

MRS.  JENNIE  MORAND 

MRS.  HARRY  ANGELL 

MR.  AND    MRS.  G.  SlLIBERG 

AND  DAUGHTER 
MRS.  E.  E.  BUTLER 
Miss  GWENDOLYN  SMITH 
MR.  AND  MRS.  WASHBURN 
Miss  MILDRED  WARNER 
MRS.  SUMNER  HlLDRETH 
MRS.  CHARLES  BUSH 
Miss  ALICE  REAGAN 
Miss  RUTH  LINCOLN 
Miss  GLADYS  PHILLIPS 
MRS.  C.  E.  BAXTER 
Miss  ANNIE  DELESKY 
Miss  SOPHIA  DELESKY 
MR.    AND    MRS.   DERORCHA 

AND  BOYS 
IRENE  BEMIS 
HILDA  LISWELL 
BESSIE  WILLS 
GRACE  WILLS 
MRS.  WEST 


108 


Departure  of  Minute  Men 
Spirit  of   1776 


HELEN  DUBIAN  P.  DOUGLAS 

MRS.  GEORGE  E.  PRATT  LOUISA  COLLINS 

MR.  AND  MRS.  BE  AM  AN  CORTLAND  ROCKWELL 

MARY  BRYDA  FRED  ROCKWELL 

BLANCHE  LEVERE  MRS.  HELEN  L.  ROOT 

ANNA  ENGLISKI  MRS.  J.  ANNA  MOSELY 

VIOLA  GADRAULT  MRS.  JENNIE  POTTER 

BEATRICE  SHEA  Miss  ELLEN  MITCHELL 
D.  BANK 

CHAPERONES 

MRS.  ROBERT  C.  LOOMIS  MRS.  EDWARD  S.  ROCKWOOD 

MRS.  GEORGE  W.  CLARK  MRS.  FRED  BUSCHMANN 

The  departure  of  the  minute-men  is  followed  by  a  symbolic  dance  end- 
ing in  a  representation  of  Willard's  great  painting  "The  Spirit  of  1776." 

Fifer,  FRED  J.  KILLIPS 
Drummer,  HARRY  SISSON 
Flag-Bearer,  GEORGE  STRONG 

BALLET  1776 
BLUES 

MARY  SCHOENROCK  ALTHINE  CLARK 

ETHEL  MARSH  OLGA  SAMBORSKI 

SYLVIA  GOODMAN  HELEN  VESELAK 

BEATRICE  BEST  STASIS  KISSEL 

MARGUERITE  CAVANAUGH  MARY  YEFKO 

LINA  PEPIN  JOSEPHINE  MINKSTEIN 

PAULINE  NYE  HELEN  SAMBORSKI 

CATHERINE  PITKIN  FRANCES  ROBERTS 

FLORENCE  QUINN  HAZEL  DUPREY 

MILDRED  ABELL  ALICE  RING 

BERTHA  JAROSH  GENEVIEVE  JOHNSON 

HELEN  ORGANEK  ESTHER  POST 

CHAPERONES 

MRS.  FRED  NASH  Miss  LUCRETIA  SANFORD 

MRS.  ERNEST  POST  Miss  MAUD  HILMUTH 


109 


WESTFIELD 


MASSACHUSETTS 


REDS 


MARY  DOOLIN 
SUSAN  DOOLIN 
GLADYS  POMERANZ 
ELIZABETH  POMERANZ 
GRACE  FERRITER 
THELMA  CHAMBERS 
MABEL  SMITH 
HELEN  SMITH 
ROBERTA  RING 


JESSIE  WILLIAMS 
PHYLLIS  COOLEY 
ELIZABETH  BARNES 
VIRGINIA  COSBY 
FLORENCE  TYLER 
ELIZABETH  MARTIN 
LEONA  BARRE 
BEATRICE  FERRITER 
ALMEDA  TAYLOR 


CHAPERONES 
MRS.  MICHAEL  WHOLEAN  Miss  VIRGINIA  NOBLE 


Miss  HELEN  AUSTIN 
Miss  IRENE  KING 


MARY  MAHONEY 
MARJORIE  ELLIS 
ETHEL  FULLER 
MARY  GOODMAN 
LEONIE  LEVIE 


WINGS 


Miss  LOUISE  MAHONEY 


RUTH  SUNDBERG 
MARGARET  GURKOSKEY 
ELLA  RICE 
JANE  RICE 
DOROTHY  KING 


CHAPERONES 

MRS.  EDWARD  G.  CROTTY  MRS.  FRED  BAKER 

MRS.  HAROLD  MOORE  MRS.  WESLEY  ELLIS 


no 


General  and  Mrs.  Shepard,  Captain  Parks  and  Lieutenant  Shepard 
Four  of  the  Townspeople 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


EPISODE   VI 

1783 

General  William  Shepard,  a  veteran  of  the  French  and  Indian  War,  won 
great  renown  in  the  Revolution. 

In  1783,  when  peace  was  declared  between  Great  Britain  and  the  United 
States,  a  great  celebration  was  held  in  Westfield  and  General  Shepard  who 
had  just  returned  from  the  war  was  the  hero  of  the  occasion. 

General  William  Shepard     .     .  EDWIN  SHEPARD 

Mrs.  Shepard MRS.  MABEL  SHEPARD  ROBINSON 

Captain  Warham  Parks .     .     .  CAPTAIN  JAMES  B.  RIVERS 

Lieutenant  John  Shepard    .     .  SERGEANT  LUKE  LAMB 

The  minute  men  of  the  preceding  episode  returning  as  Revolutionary 
soldiers;  also  the  townspeople  of  the  preceding  episode.  Among  the  latter 
were  four  who  had  participated  in  the  Bicentennial  Celebration: 

MRS.  MORAND,  aged  76 
MRS.  ROOT,  aged  78 
MRS.  PACKARD,  aged  85 
DR.  BURGE,  aged  86 

Both  Mr.  Shepard  and  Mrs.  Robinson  were  descendants  of  General 
William  Shepard. 

INTERMISSION 
PAGEANT  RESUMES  AT  SOUND  OF  BUGLE 


III 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

EPISODE  VII 

1860 
DANCE  SYMBOLIC  OF  CIVIL  WAR 

Joyous  dancers  symbolize  peacefulness.  Black  clouds  of  war  approach 
in  the  distance,  and  the  dancers  rush  away.  The  Blues  and  Grays  line  up 
for  battle.  Others  representing  Love  and  Devotion  make  one  final  plea 
for  peace,  but  are  cast  aside,  and  the  battle  begins.  The  Grays  are  de- 
feated and  the  victorious  Blues  dance  with  joy.  Love  and  Devotion  re- 
turn and  plead  with  the  Blues  to  help  the  Grays  through  their  time  of  stress. 
The  Blues  then  join  the  Grays  and  all  are  reunited  in  a  spirit  of  love  and 
reconciliation. 

CIVIL  WAR  BALLET 

BLUES 

ALICE  LONG  MINERVA  MCCONNEL 

ESTHER  GOODMAN  MARY  SONOLEN 

CATHERINE  MAYETTE  MARY  BLASCAK 

MARTHA  SIZER  ROSE  OLEKSAK 

ELLEN  LONG  CATHERINE  MESSENGER 

AGNES  SEARS  MARTHA  QUIMPER 

CATHERINE  BROWN  HELEN  MASCHIN 

SARAH  GILLEN  SOPHIE  KNAPIK 

LOUISE  MORGAN  GLADYS  PHILLIPS 

DOROTHY  HAMMOND  PRISCILLA  ROBINSON 

MILDRED  SMITH  HELEN  RICE 
EDITH  O'CONNOR 

CHAPERONES 

MRS.  FRANK  C.  PARKER  Miss  CLARA  AVERY 

MRS.  PETER  JENSEN  Miss  ANNA  WELCH 

Miss  MARY  ROWLAND 

GRAYS 

ESTHER  MICKLE  MARGARET  MAHONEY 

MARIE  EVANS  MARY  ARMSTRONG 

MARY  FERRITER  ELIZABETH  TRIBULA 

ANNA  SEARS  MARY  GOGOL 

HELEN  BROWN  SADIE  LABROVITCH 

HILDA  MASHIN  EDITH  LABROVITCH 

OLIVE  McGiLL  KATHERINE  RYAN 

MARY  BURKE  MARGARET  LONG 

HELEN  TARALA  VIOLA  GADREAULT 

112 


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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


CHAPERONES 


Miss  BESSIE  NASH 
Miss  ELIZABETH  WATERS 


Miss  ALBERTA  BARRE 
Miss  THERESA  WATERS 


BLACKS 


MILDRED  SMITH 
RUTH  LINCOLN 
GRACE  WILLS 
SOPHIE  JEGELWICZ 
SOPHIE  DELSKY 


MRS.  F.  S.  CANNON 
Miss  EVA  DORMAN 


HELEN  RYAN 
BEATRICE  GROSSMAN 
ETHEL  FLETCHER 
FRANCES  MORIN 
DORIS  MESICK 


HELEN  SEARS 
MARTHA  SEARS 
GWENDOLEN  SMITH 
ANNA  DELSKY 
MILDRED  WARNER 

CHAPERONES 

MRS.  GEORGE  PLOURD 


PINKS 


VIRGINIA  BARNARD 
MYRTLE  DICKENSON 
PAULINE  SIZER 
ETHEL  ALLYN 
SALLY  FOWLER 


CHAPERONES 
MRS.  GEORGE  C.  PRATT  MRS.  EDWARD  MESICK 


SPRITES 


ANNA  EVANS 
BETTY  WELLER 
MARGUERITE  LANE 
ELIZABETH  CLARK 
RACHEL  ALLYN 
MARION  PHILLIPS 
BEATRICE  GAYLORD 
MARY  DEVINE 
RHEA  DOTY 


ELEANOR  BURKE 
SADIE  MINKSTEIN 
CECILA  CHENEL 
EILEEN  QUIMPER 
MARGARET  MAYNARD 
ALICE  BURKE 
TERESA  BURKE 
CELESTINE  MORRISON 
LILLIAN  BRYANT 


CHAPERONES 


Miss  ANNA  KENNEDY 
MRS.  JOHN  CORCORAN 


MRS.  JAMES  FITZGERALD 
Miss  MATILDA  GUINASSO 


WESTFIELD 


MASSACHUSETTS 


EPISODE  VIII 

1919 
DEPICTING  THE  BEAUTY  AND  GROWTH  OF  WESTFIELD 

This  is  symbolized  by  a  ballet  of  children  from  eight  to  twelve  years  of 
age,  representing  Farming,  Manufacturing,  Inventing  and  Mining,  with 
the  Arts  depicted  by  older  girls  in  Grecian  costumes. 

BALLET  WESTFIELD 


FARMERS 


VERA  EKHOLM 
ALICE  STILES 
ALICE  WHITE 
ELIZABETH  LONG 
THERESA  FITZGERALD 
RUTH  BRADY 
EDITH  MACBRIAN 
RUTH  KVITSKY 
LOUISE  LAWTON 
FLORENCE  HARRON 
ALMA  Rix 
MARGARET  COFFEY 
GUILA  HAWLEY 
BLANCHE  BUTLER 
EDITH  MILES 
MARY  SPELLMAN 


AVERY  BATES 
WILLIAM  POIRIER 
PAUL  BRADY 
HERBERT  MARCOULIER 
CHARLES  HUNTER 
FRED  STRONG 
ROBERT  AVERY 
CARL  WELCOME 
ALBERT  FOWLER 
HARRISON  TAYLOR 
CARLTON  WOOD 
LAURENCE  RING 
GEORGE  TULLER 
DUDLEY  EARLE 
EDWARD  HIBART 


FLORENCE  SNOW 
YVONNE  BELLERVE 
ANNA  MIHALEK 
NANO  DEVINE 
WINIFRED  EDWARDS 
ANNA  MURPHY 
MAY  WYMAN 
CATHERINE  SULLIVAN 
MILDRED  EDWARDS 


INVENTIONS 

MARY  MACKAY 
KATHLEEN  SEARS 
MARY  O'CONNOR 
FLORENCE  LYNCH 
ELIZABETH  LYNCH 
FLORENCE  LENOIS 
CATHERINE  CLEARY 
MILDRED  FIELD 


114 


JU 

CQ 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


MANUFACTURES 


CAROLINE  STEVENSON 
LILLIAN  TOUPIN 
MARY  TOUPIN 
MARGARET  DOUGLAS 
EVELYN  DOUGLAS 
DOROTHY  HUNTER 
MARGARET  DINEEN 
ANNA  ASHE 
ELSIE  CLEARY 
FRANCES  MINKSTEIN 
KATHERINE  BAKER 


GERALDINE  FALES 
HELEN  PAROLINE 
CATHERINE  MAHAR 
ANNA  HENCHEY 
MARGARET  BROWN 
RUTH  MUNSELL 
WINIFRED  PALMER 


DOROTHY  BOWLER 
DOROTHY  BRODEUR 
ROSE  GONZALEZ 
DOROTHY  SMITH 
JULIA  BRADY 
NORA  MURPHY 
RUTH  NESBIT 
MILDRED  BRAZEE 
MARY  DOUBRAVA 


MINING 


ART 


MARION  Ac  AN 
ELIZABETH  MOCHAK 
DOROTHY  NYE 
ROSE  KUPEK 
MADELINE  NORTHROP 
FREDA  LEVINE 
THELMA  VONDEL 
EDNA  Rix 
ISABELLA  MACKAY 
DOROTHY  FLANAGHAN 
IRENE  MOCHAK 


LILLIAN  PALMER 
AMY  BOYLE 
HELEN  DOUBRAVA 
DOROTHY  LONG 
HELEN  SCHOENROCK 
HELEN  LEARY 
LEOLA  ROBBINS 


MARY  HARRON 
NINA  BUFFUM 
ELIZABETH  QUINN 
HELEN  LANDERS 
FRANCES  BERGMAN 
LODEMA  STRONG 
SYLVIA  KIMBALL 
STELLA  BROWN 
CHARLOTTE  RICE 


CHAPERONES 

Miss  ETHEL  WALLACE  Miss  ELIZABETH  CASH 

MRS.  CHARLES  DAMBACKER  Miss  MARION  HOSMER 

MRS.  CHARLES  ALLEN  Miss  JESSIE  CLEARY 


WESTFIELD.       MASSACHUSETTS 


EPISODE   IX 
THE  LAST  EPISODE  is  A  PAGEANT  PARADE 

At  the  close  of  the  preceding  episode  the  Ballet  Westfield  is  seated  in  a 
semi-circle  at  the  back  of  the  stage.  Between  them  and  the  audience 
there  passes  in  review  all  who  have  taken  part  in  the  various  episodes, 
together  with  the  floats — Victory,  Peace,  Columbia,  and  Miss  Westfield — 
followed  by  representatives  of  all  the  war  activities  in  which  Westfield 
took  part  during  the  late  war. 

FLOATS 

Victory Miss  MARY  HEDGES 

Peace Miss  VESTA  GANNETT 

DOVES  OF  PEACE 

ELEANOR  PEABODY  RUTH  ABBOTT 

LUCY  RASPER  ARLINE  HOSMER 

BESSIE  KASPER  ELIZABETH  BROWN 

AGNES  BURNES  CATHERINE  UPSON 

BEATRICE  BRAZEE  GLADYS  SMITH 
CARLEE  PALMER 

Columbia Miss  GRACE  WILLS 

Attended  by 
THE  FORTY-EIGHT  STATES  OF  THE  UNION 

Miss  Westfield Miss  ANNIE  GILLETT 

REPRESENTATIVES  OF  WESTFIELD'S  WAR  ACTIVITIES 


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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

COMMUNITY  DAY  COMMITTEES 

GAMALIEL  E.  AUSTIN,  General  Chairman 

PICNIC  COMMITTEE 
HARRY  C.  LANE,  Chairman 

HOWARD  ALLEN  CHARLES  J.  ILES 

ALBERT  BAHLEDA  JOHN  J.  HEARN 

T.  R.  BRIEN  JOSEPH  KVITSKY 

WILLIAM  J.  CHAPMAN  JAMES  R.  JEFFERS 

CHARLES  H.  COOLEY,  JR.  PETER  JENSEN 

HARRY  E.  COWLES  ROBERT  P.  LANE 

ROBERT  E.  DOHERTY  W.  B.  LOOMIS 

TONY  FRESCO  EMIL  MOTAK 

JAMES  W.  HAGAR  JAMES  C.  TAYLOR 

MALCOLM  B.  HARDING  CHARLES  B.  WARREN 
LUTHER  E.  HOLLISTER 

ENTERTAINMENT  COMMITTEE 
FREDERIC  GOODWIN,  Chairman 

Miss  FLORENCE  BARKER  Miss  MARY  KASPAR 

Miss  BESSIE  CARROLL  Miss  MARY  LONG 

GEORGE  T.  CHAPMAN  Miss  IDA  M.  LYONS 

Miss  NAN  CHAPMAN  Miss  FLORENCE  MAHONEY 

THOMAS  R.  COOLEY  DR.  ROBERT  M.  MARR 

Miss  HELENA  ENSIGN  FREDERICK  L.  PARKER 

ARCHIBALD  L.  FINLAY  MRS.  BURTON  A.  PRINCE 

DARWIN  L.  GILLETT  Miss  MILDRED  REHOR 

HARRY  W.  GLADWIN  RAY  M.  SANFORD 

L.  D.  HARDEN  CHARLES  G.  SMITH 

E.  R.  HAWLEY  Miss  CATHERINE  WESSON 

COMMITTEE  ON  PARKING  AUTOMOBILES 
G.  FRED  DILL,  Chairman 

HARRY  F.  BAILEY  L.  O.  PECK 

LEROY  C.  COBURN  SILAS  POMEROY 

DAVID  H.  COMSTOCK  E.  S.  ROCKWOOD 

GEORGE  F.  MARCOULIER  JAMES  H.  WHITTEMORE 
HARRY  S.  MILLER 

117 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 


RECEPTION  COMMITTEE 
CHARLES  H.  BARTLETT,  Chairman 


MRS.  LEWIS  B.  ALLYN 
MRS.  GAMALIEL  E.  AUSTIN 
MRS.  MARGUERITE  FOWLER  BRIDG- 

MAN 

Miss  HILDA  BRACE 

HOMER  E.  BUSH 

Miss  ALICE  CADWELL 

DENNIS  M.  COLE 

MRS.  CHARLES  H.  COOLEY,  JR. 

B.  A.  EDGAR 

MRS.  B.  A.  EDGAR 

CHARLES  F.  ENSWORTH 

Miss  KATHERINE  M.  FOWLER 

HARRY  M.  GOWDY 

MRS.  HARRY  M.  GOWDY 

MRS.  ROBERT  GOWDY 

MRS.  L.  D.  HARDEN 

Miss  RUTH  HARDEN 

MRS.  JOHN  HIBBS 

CHARLES  A.  HICKSON 

MRS.  CLEMENT  E.  HOLMES 

MRS.  EDWARD  HULL 

MRS.  FREDERICK  HULL 


MRS.  JOSEPH  A.  KENYON 

Louis  L.  KEEFE 

MRS.  HERBERT  W.  KITTREDGE 

MRS.  ROBERT  M.  MARR 

Miss  VESTA  MITCHELL 

ARTHUR  G.  NORTON 

HOWARD  G.  NOBLE 

MRS.  HOWARD  G.  NOBLE 

Miss  RACHEL  PACKARD 

OREN  E.  PARKS 

Miss  ELLENE  PORTER 

MRS.  C.  K.  PRINCE 

MRS.  FLORENCE  SACKETT  RIVERS 

MlSS   ROMAINE   RON  AN 

Miss  HELEN  SANDERSON 

FRANK  P.  SEARLE 

MRS.  FREDERICK  F.  SHEPARD 

MRS.  MATTHEW  W.  SHINE 

CHESTER  D.  STILES 

V.  G.  WILLIS 

Miss  ELIZABETH  WINSLOW 

MRS.  GEORGE  W.  WINSLOW 

Miss  RUTH  WOOD 


COMMUNITY   DAY 

Tuesday,  September  2, — the  third  day  of  Westfield's 
anniversary  celebration, — was  known  as  Community  Day. 

The  general  program  as  planned  by  the  Picnic  and  En- 
tertainment Committees  was  to  have  begun  at  noon  with 
a  parade  from  the  Green  to  the  picnic-grounds.  The  place 
selected  for  this  mammoth  gathering  of  townspeople  was 
the  large,  open  tract  of  land  on  the  east  side  of  Mill  Street, 
accessible  also  from  West  Silver  Street,  and  including  the 
wooded  hillside  overlooking  the  south  part  of  the  town. 
Here  was  erected  a  huge  tent  for  the  reception.  A  large 

118 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

committee  was  delegated  to  greet  and  introduce  people; 
and  that  those  who  desired  might  meet  or  learn  of  old-time 
friends,  the  Invitation  Committee,  represented  by  Mrs. 
Charles  H.  Beals,  was  prepared  to  answer  inquiries  con- 
cerning former  residents  to  whom  invitations  had  been 
sent. 

People  were  expected  to  bring  their  lunches,  although 
provision  had  been  made  for  the  sale  of  food,  soft  drinks, 
etc.,  on  the  grounds.  Twelve  thirty  was  the  hour  named 
for  the  luncheon  and  band  concert.  Following  the  "eats" 
the  band  music  was  to  be  interspersed  with  community 
singing  led  by  Frederic  Goodwin  who  has  done  much  toward 
organizing  such  singing  in  the  town.  A  song-sheet  for  the 
occasion  was  printed  having  the  words  of  the  following 
well-known,  favorite  songs,  so  that  all  might  join  in  the 
singing,  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  band,  "America," 
"  Keep  the  Home  Fires  Burning,"  "The  Long,  Long  Trail," 
"Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic"  and  "My  Old  Kentucky 
Home." 

At  two  o'clock  the  dance  program  of  the  afternoon  was 
to  have  been  given  near  Pine  Tree  Grove,  at  the  brow  of 
the  hill.  Miss  Florence  Barker  had  charge  of  the  esthetic 
dancing  and  Miss  Mary  Long,  principal  of  Fort  Meadow 
School,  directed  the  folk  dancing. 

DANCE  PROGRAM 

1.  "School  Days" 

2.  Folk  Dance — "Shoemaker's  Dance" 

3.  "Snow  Queen" 

4.  Folk  Dance— "Highland  Schottisch" 

5.  Suite  (a)  "  Night  and  Storm" 

(b)  Dance 

6.  Folk  Dance — "Danish  Dance  of  Greeting" 

7.  Irish  Lilt 

8.  Folk  Dance — "Chimes  of  Dunkirk" 

9.  Military  Drill 

119 


WESTFIELD,       MASSSACHUSETTS 

After  the  dancing,  sports  were  to  take  place  on  the  run- 
ning-track as  follows: 

MEN 

Tug-of-war  contest  between  teams  from  the  H.  B.  Smith  Company,  north- 
side  works  and  the  south-side  works — Prize,  $25. 

Tug-of-war  contest  between  teams  from  the  Foster  Machine  Company  and 

the  Westfield  Manufacturing  Company,  for  a  prize  of  $25. 
Peter  Monahan  to  referee  the  two  contests. 

GIRLS 

5O-yard  dash — First  prize,   kodak  camera;  second  prize,   roller-skates; 

third  prize,  bracelet. 
Egg  race — First  prize,  wrist-watch;  second  prize,  necklace;  third  prize, 

mesh  bag. 

BOYS 

loo-yard  dash — First  prize,  Ingersoll  watch;  second  prize,  cord  bicycle 

tire;  third  prize,  baseball  glove. 
5<>yard  dash — First  prize,  flashlight;  second  prize,  baseball  mitt;  third 

prize,  electric  bicycle  lamp. 
Potato  race — First  prize,  Ingersoll  watch;  second  prize,  baseball  glove; 

third  prize,  pocket  knife. 
Three-legged  race — First  prize,  baseball  and  bats  (2) ;  second  prize,  knives 

(2). 

The  officials  at  the  races  follow:  Starter,  James  T.  Welch;  judges, 
Harry  W.  Gladwin,  Chester  W.  Stiles,  Archibald  L.  Finlay;  umpires  of 
baseball  game,  Thomas  W.  Bowler,  Louis  F.  Burns. 

At  three  o'clock  the  star  event  of  the  afternoon,  the  championship  base- 
ball game  between  the  Father  Matthew  team  and  the  All  Star  team  was  to 
be  played. 

A  Community  Carnival  was  to  be  held  on  the  Green  in 
the  evening  from  7.30  until  11.30  o'clock.  Carefully 
planned  by  the  Entertainment  Committee,  it  was  to  prove 
a  most  unique  occasion,  with  much  of  interest  and  pleasure 
for  the  thousands  of  citizens  and  visitors  of  all  ages  who 
should  flock  to  watch,  or  to  participate  in,  the  dancing  on 
the  Green. 

1 20 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

However,  the  clouds  which  had  been  watched  so  anx- 
iously during  the  pageant  the  day  before,  opened  their 
floodgates  late  Monday  night  and  neglected  to  close  them 
throughout  the  entire  day,  Tuesday.  As  one  paper  said: 
"Instead  of  a  dance  surface  where  thousands  of  couples 
were  to  glide  to  the  music  of  two  bands,  beneath  the  gor- 
geous decorations  and  hundreds  of  electric  lights  on  the 
Green,  the  place  was  deserted  and  there  was  not  even  a 
band  concert  which  might  assist  in  relieving  the  spirit  of 
disappointment  caused  by  an  all-day  rain.  The  slogan  of 
the  Community  Picnic  Committee  and  the  Community 
Dance  Organization  had  been  only  too  true.  It  was  a  case 
of  'something  doing  every  minute,'  and  that  something 
was  rain." 

REMINISCENCE  MEETING 

Although  it  was  necessary  to  postpone  the  numerous 
features  planned  for  the  Community  Day  Celebration, 
there  was  one  event  which  made  the  whole  day  bright  for 
those  who  participated  in  it.  That  many  failed  to  share 
in  this  pleasure  is  a  source  of  regret  to  those  who  attended 
the  Reminiscence  Meeting;  but  it  was  entirely  impromptu 
and  the  time  was  too  limited  to  permit  of  more  than  hastily 
posted  notices  and  telephone  calls. 

An  orchestra  selected  from  the  iO4th  Regimental  Band 
was  commandeered  and,  in  spite  of  the  downpour,  there 
gathered  at  the  reception  tent  on  the  picnic-grounds,  many 
representatives  of  Westfield's  early  families,  who  cherish 
fond  memories  of  "The  Old  Town." 

Professor  Lester  P.  Breckenridge,  of  Yale  University, 
presided  and  was  an  ideal  chairman.  His  delightfully 
informal  manner  was  so  contagious  that  soon  those  present 
had  drawn  their  chairs  around  in  a  circle,  like  a  big  family 
gathering,  and  were  calling  one  another  by  the  old-time 
names  of  "Breck,"  "Bob,"  "Jim,"  "Phil,"  etc. 

121 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

The  old  Westfield,  its  leading  men,  the  boyhood  and  girl- 
hood days  of  the  speakers  were  subjects  for  reminiscence. 
Most  of  the  talks  were  humorous,  and  all  so  intensely  inter- 
esting that  the  company  came  back  to  the  present,  at  the 
end  of  the  extemporaneous  program,  surprised  to  find  that 
nearly  three  hours  had  elapsed;  and  many,  if  not  all,  car- 
ried away  from  that  delightful  meeting  one  more  fond 
memory  to  add  .to  those  they  already  cherish  of  dear  old 
Westfield. 


122 


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1' 

PL,   . 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

MILITARY   PARADE 
WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  3 

"It  sprinkled,  it  drizzled  and  it  poured  on  Westfield's  last 
day  of  the  celebration  of  her  25Oth  birthday.  The  curfew 
rang  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  signifying  that  the 
morning  activities  were  given  up,  but  20,000  people  braved 
a  terrific  rainstorm  in  the  afternoon  to  watch  the  passing 
of  the  military  parade.  More  than  1,000  persons,  200  of 
them  women,  sloshed  and  slogged  their  way  through  rain, 
puddles  and  mud,  determined  that  no  matter  how  great 
the  deluge,  their  enthusiasm  could  not  be  dampened. 

"Thousands  more  would  have  watched  the  parade  if  the 
day  had  been  fair.  Hundreds  more  would  have  been  in 
line  under  the  same  conditions.  As  it  was,  it  was  a  spectacle 
worthy  of  the  town's  best  traditions. 

"Lieu tenant- Colonel  Edwin  Van  Deusen,  of  the  United 
States  Army,  led  the  parade  as  marshal.  In  line  were  the 
Third  Cavalry  Machine  Gun  Troop,  Red  Cross  workers, 
G.  A.  R.  veterans,  the  Worcester  Continentals  with  their 
own  fife  and  drum  corps,  veterans  of  Foreign  Wars  from 
Springfield,  Westfield  Fire  Department  and  more  than 
400  service  men. 

"The  cavalrymen  made  a  splendid  appearance;  so  did 
the  service  men,  the  Continentals  and  the  Fire  Department. 
But  the  bouquets  were  reserved  for  the  Red  Cross  workers. 
Clad  in  white  and  drenched  to  the  skin,  they  remained  to 
see  the  finish  and  were  marching  just  as  smartly  at  the  end 
as  at  the  beginning.  The  crowds  were  generous  with  their 
applause,  and  every  group  of  marchers  was  honored. 

"There  was  a  float  with  group  representing  the  return 
of  the  soldier-son,  and  another  with  a  miniature  K.  of  C. 
hut  from  which  showers  of  candy  and  gum  fell  at  intervals, 
to  the  delight  of  the  small  boys. 

123 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

"At  the  Green  the  parade  was  reviewed  by  Governor 
Coolidge,  Former  Governor  Samuel  W.  McCall,  Major- 
General  Clarence  R.  Edwards  and  members  of  his  staff, 
invited  guests  and  town  officers. 

"When  the  parade  reached  the  reviewing  stand  the 
cavalry  swung  to  one  side,  as  did  the  iO4th  Infantry  Band, 
which  played,  as  the  marchers  swung  by  in  column  of 
platoons,  the  stirring  26th  Division  battle  tune,  'The 
Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic.'  " 

PARADE  COMMITTEE 
DANIEL  F.  DOHERTY,  Chairman 

HARVEY  J.  CLEVELAND  WILLIAM  B.  MAHONEY 

AUGUST  BUSCHMANN  DR.  T.  E.  POWER 

CHARLES  F.  ELY  ARCHIE  D.  ROBINSON 

EDWARD  T.  FOWLER  STANLEY  K.  SMITH 
GEORGE  JACHYM 

COMMITTEE  IN  CHARGE  OF  WESTFIELD  SERVICE  MEN'S 

SECTION 

REPRESENTING  WESTFIELD  POST,  AMERICAN  LEGION 

WALTER  Q.  CARL,  Vice- Commandant 

THOMAS  SCANLON,  Adjutant 

EDWARD  SHEEHAN,  Finance  Officer 

NOAH  DUPERRAULT,  Historian 

LEROY  C.  CODDING,  Chaplain 

REUBEN  BEMAN  ROBERT  P.  MCMAHON 

JOSEPH  CULLEN  HAROLD  WHITTEMORE 

ERNEST  DECKER  JOSEPH  C.  WHOLEAN 

ARTHUR  B.  LONG 

LINE  OF  MARCH 

The  parade  formed  on  Depot  Square  and  adjacent 
streets  and  marched  through  North  Elm  Street,  Great 
River  Bridge,  Elm  Street,  the  Green,  Court  Street,  Day 
Avenue,  West  Silver  Street,  Broad  Street,  to  the  General 
Shepard  Monument  for  the  Unveiling  Ceremonies. 

124 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


ORDER  OF  MILITARY  PARADE 

Platoon  of  12  patrolmen  under  Police  Chief  William  A.  Flouton. 

Lt.-Col.  Edwin  R.  Van  Deusen,  marshal  and  aids,  including  Capt.  James 
W.  Hagar,  Lts.  Matthew  Kalafut,  Archie  L.  Finlay,  Joseph  E.  Whol- 
ean,  and  Darwin  L.  Gillett,  Robert  P.  Lane,  Robert  P.  McMahon, 
Howard  E.  Green,  Arthur  B.  Long,  Charles  Nicholas  and  Maj. 
Frederick  T.  Clark. 

lO4th  Infantry  Band  (25  men). 

Machine  Gun  Troop  of  Third  Cavalry  (65  men)  under  command  of  Capt. 
Cornelius  M.  Daly. 

Welcome  home  float,  in  which  George  Fox  as  the  returned  soldier,  dropped 
his  gun  on  entering  the  home,  rushed  into  his  mother's  embrace,  was 
received  by  his  father  with  a  handshake  and  pat  on  the  back,  while 
the  little  brother  and  sister  rushed  to  greet  him. 

Service  men's  section,  under  command  of  Capt.  Stanley  K.  Smith  of  West- 
field  Post  American  Legion,  and  Adjt.  Lieut.  Charles  F.  Ely. 

Aids  to  Capt.  Smith,  Lt.  Comdr.  Charles  H.  Depping,  Capt.  Thomas  E. 
Power,  Lts.  Robert  M.  Marr,  Richard  P.  McCarthy,  Robert  E. 
Bodurtha,  James  S.  Doherty,  Raymond  H.  Cowing,  Glenn  B.  Cowles, 
Sergt.  Walter  Q.  Carl,  Corps.  Edward  J.  Sheehan,  Jr.,  Noah  Duper- 
rault  and  Thomas  F.  Scanlon,  the  latter  quartet  representing  the 
officers  of  Westfield  Post. 

First  company — Lt.  William  J.  Wholean  in  command. 

First  platoon — Lt.  William  J.  Wholean  in  command,  24  men  wearing  trench 
helmets  and  carrying  gas-masks. 

Second  platoon — Lt.  Hedges  S.  Freeman  in  command,  34  men  wearing 
overseas  hats. 

Third  platoon — Lt.  Arthur  Porter  in  command,  34  men  wearing  campaign 
hats. 

Navy  service  men's  section,  in  command  of  Ensign  Edgar  F.  Tierney  and 
Flight-Ensign  Howard  S.  Robinson. 

First  platoon — Flight-Ensign  Howard  S.  Robinson  and  24  men. 

Color  guards — Reuben  Beman  of  the  Marine  Corps  and  Charles  McCon- 
nell  of  the  Navy. 

Color  bearers — George  Barnes  with  national  flag  and  Michael  Rukowicz 
with  Westfield  Post  service  flag  with  26  gold  stars. 

Second  platoon  of  Navy  service  men — Ensign  Edgar  F.  Tierney  and  24 
men. 

World  War  veterans  not  in  uniform,  10  men. 

Short's  Band  of  Springfield,  20  men. 

125 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

Third  company — Army  service  men,  Capt.  Edward  A.  Austin  in  command. 
First  platoon — Lt.  Walter  J.  Ungetheum  in  command  with  24  men. 
Second  platoon — Lt.  William  C.  Doering  in  command  with  21  men. 
Third  platoon — Sergt.  William  J.  Dalton  in  command  with  31  men. 
Fourth  company — Capt.  Thomas  T.  Logie  in  command. 
First  platoon — Lt.  Alfred  O.  Sanford  in  command  with  34  men. 
Second  platoon — Sergt.  John  J.  Guinnasso  in  command  with  34  men. 
Third  platoon — Lt.  A.  D.  Snively  in  command  with  30  men. 
Auto  with  severely  wounded  and  incapacitated  service  men,  including 

Priv.  Leroy  E.  Codding,  Priv.  Geonizzy  Popko,  and  others. 
Worcester  Continentals  and  drum  corps  with  17  men. 
Worcester  Continentals,  "Spirit  of  1776,"  with  3  men. 
Worcester  Continentals  with  19  men. 
Spanish  War  veterans  and  Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars  of  Springfield  with 

26  men  in  line. 

Westfield  and  Springfield  G.  A.  R.  Veterans,  55  men  in  twelve  automobiles. 
Westfield  Band  of  20  men. 
Westfield  Red  Cross  nurses,  Richard  Lotherington  and  Misses  Helen 

Miles,  Rena  Ahrens,  Leona  Phelps  and  Theresa  Sopko. 
Westfield  Red  Cross  executive  committee. 
Westfield  Red  Cross  workers — 70  women  in  uniform. 
Second  Red  Cross  section,  including  50  young  women  carrying  immense 

Red  Cross  flag. 

Two  Red  Cross  floats  with  10  workers  in  charge  of  each. 
Fifteen  automobiles  with  75  Red  Cross  workers  in  uniform. 
Knights  of  Columbus  hut  float. 
Boy  Scouts  in  command  of  Deputy  Commissioner  Rev.  Robert  Keating 

Smith  and  Scoutmaster  Harry  A.  Stillman  with  40  boys. 
Liberty  Drum  Corps,  20  men. 
Westfield  Fire  Department  under  command  of  Fire  Chief  Thomas  H 

Mahoney,  40  men. 
Five  autos  and  trucks  of  the  Fire  Department. 


126 


Photo  by  M.  O.  T.  Coleman 


General  Shepard  Monument 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


THE  GENERAL  SHEPARD  MONUMENT 
COMMITTEE 

HENRY  W.  ELY,  Chairman 

ARCHIE  D.  ROBINSON  WILLIAM  T.  SMITH 

JAMES  C.  GREENOUGH  ARTHUR  S.  KNEIL 

GENERAL  COMMITTEE 

HENRY  W.  ELY  CHARLES  J.  LITTLE 

JOSEPH  B.  ELY  WILLIAM  B.  REED 

EDGAR  L.  GILLETT  ARCHIE  D.  ROBINSON 

FRANK  GRANT  GEORGE  W.  SEARLE 

JAMES  C.  GREENOUGH  FREDERICK  F.  SHEPARD 

WILLIS  S.  KELLOGG  MATTHEW  W.  SHINE 

JOSEPH  A.  KENYON  EDWIN  W.  SMITH 

ARTHUR  S.  KNEIL  WILLIAM  T.  SMITH 
JOHN  R.  KING 

The  name  of  Henry  Fuller,  Esquire,  should  stand  first  in 
any  account  of  the  statue  of  General  Shepard,  for  his  be- 
quest in  1913,  started  the  work  of  raising  funds  for  a  suit- 
able memorial  to  Westfield's  Revolutionary  hero.  The 
matter  was  brought  before  town  meeting  and,  while  no 
appropriation  was  made  at  that  time,  a  committee  consist- 
ing of  James  C.  Greenough,  Henry  W.  Ely  and  Archie  D. 
Robinson  was  appointed.  This  committee  secured  pledges 
from  descendants  of  General  Shepard  and  others  and  in 
1917  the  town  made  an  appropriation,  added  the  names  of 
Arthur  S.  Kneil  and  William  T.  Smith  to  the  committee, 
and  empowered  it  to  erect  and  dedicate  the  monument. 

After  careful  consideration  of  designs  submitted  by 
various  sculptors,  the  committee  selected  Augustus  Luke- 
man  of  New  York.  Mr.  Lukeman  is  the  designer  of  the 
McKinley  statue  at  Adams,  "The  Circuit  Rider"  in  Wash- 
ington, and  other  works  of  merit.  "In  the  statue  of  General 
Shepard,  Westfield  possesses  not  only  a  dignified  and 

127 


WESTFIELD 


MASSACHUSETTS 


worthy  memorial  to  her  distinguished  son,  but  a  valuable 
and  enduring  work  of  art  which  she  may  always  regard  with 
pride  and  satisfaction. " 

RECEPTION  COMMITTEE 
HENRY  W.  ELY,  Chairman 


CHESTER  H.  ABBE 

S.  AUGUSTUS  ALLEN 

LEWIS  B.  ALLYN 

HENRY  W.  ASHLEY 

Miss  IDA  C.  ASHLEY 

MRS.  LUCY  COLLINS  ATWATER 

DR.  JAMES  B.  ATWATER 

MRS.  LILLIAN  CAMPBELL  AVERY 

REV.  WILLIAM  S.  AYRES 

MRS.  MARY  MORSE  BARTLETT 

CHARLES  H.  BEALS 

Miss  FRANCES  T.  BOISE 

DR.  GEORGE  W.  BRACE 

CHARLES  J.  BRADLEY 

MRS.  MARTHA  INGERSOLL  BRECK- 

ENRIDGE 

CLARENCE  A.  BRODEUR 

WILLIAM  K.  BUSCHMANN 

ANDREW  L.  BUSH 

HOMER  BUSH 

JOSEPH  D.  CADLE 

Miss  GRACE  CARROLL 

MRS.  CARRIE  TOBEY  CLARK 

DR.  FREDERICK  T.  CLARK 

MRS.  NELLIE  ENSIGN  CONNER 

THOMAS  J.  COOLEY 

HARVEY  J.  CLEVELAND 

MRS.  JAMES  ARTHUR  CRANE 

REV.  ADOLPH  DASLER 

Miss  ELIZA  M.  DOANE 

DANIEL  F.  DOHERTY 

EUGENE  DOHERTY 

DR.  ARCHIBALD  J.  DOUGLAS 

MRS.  THEODORA  REED  DRYSDALE 


MRS.  JANE  BUSH  DYSON 

HERBERT  S.  EATON 

MRS.  SARAH  BUELL  ELY 

WILLIAM  H.  ENSIGN 

REV.  GEORGE  M.  FITZGERALD 

CHARLES  R.  FOWLER 

EDWARD  T.  FOWLER 

MRS.  ELLEN  SIBLEY  FULLER 

JOHN  J.  FULLER 

MRS.  FLORENCE  LAWTON  FURBER 

CHARLES  M.  GARDNER 

MRS.  ELIZA  SMITH  GAYLORD 

MRS.  SARAH  DEAN  GAYLORD 

MRS.  ADA  HEDGES  GfBBS 

Miss  LUCY  D.  GILLETT 

ROBERT  GOWDY 

MRS.  ELLEN  PEEBLES  GRANT 

Miss  MARTHA  GRANT 

Miss  GRACE  HALL 

FRANK  D.  HAMILTON 

EDWIN  B.  HEDGES 

DR.  ROBERT  D.  HILDRETH 

MRS.  JOSEPH  B.  HILL 

MRS.  HENRIETTA  HOLLAND 

MRS.  FREDA  STEIGER  HOLLISTER 

REV.  CLEMENT  E.  HOLMES 

Miss  ELIZABETH  M.  HOOKER 

REV.  CONRAD  HOOKER 

DR.  GEORGE  H.  JANES 

MRS.  MINNIE  CADWELL  JANES 

MRS.  WILLIAM  H.  JOHNSON 

Louis  L.  KEEFE 

REV.  H.  ARTHUR  KERNEN 

MRS.  EMMA  PROVIN  KING 


128 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


MRS.  JANE  AVERY  KINGSBURY 

HERBERT  W.  KITTREDGE 

EDWIN  R.  LAY 

Miss  HELEN  E.  LEWIS 

MRS.  LILLIE  LAMBSON  LILLEY 

MRS.  ELIZABETH  LAMBERTON 

LITTLE 

MRS.  GRACE  WELLER  LOOMIS 
MRS.  MARY  SHEPARD  LOOMIS 
WILLIAM  J.  MCCARTHY 
PATRICK  J.  MCMAHON 
WILLIAM  B.  MAHONEY 
DR.  ROBERT  M.  MARR 
MRS.  IRA  MILLER 
MORRELL  H.  MOORE 
RICHARD  J.  MORRISSEY 
MRS.  NAN  WILCOX  MOSELEY 
DR.  A.  FOWLER  NOBLE 
HOWARD  G.  NOBLE 
JAMES  NOBLE,  JR. 
MRS.  ELIZA  NOBLE 
DR.  JAMES  J.  NORTON 
MRS.  SADIE  MORSE  NOBLE 
REV.  PATRICK  J.  O'M ALLEY 
Miss  EMMA  J.  OSBORNE 
REV.  A.  D.  PAGE 
FRANK  C.  PARKER 
FREDERICK  L.  PARKER 
MRS.  MARY  SNOW  PARKER 
MRS.  ROBERT  F.  PARKER 
OREN  B.  PARKS 
OREN  E.  PARKS 
REV.  AUGUSTINE  E.  PHELPS 
CLARENCE  K.  PRINCE 
Miss  CLARA  M.  REED 
MRS.  ETHEL  MALLORY  REED 
MRS.  JOHN  R.  REED 
RICHARD  D.  REED. 
MRS.  WILLIAM  B.  REED 


MRS.  WARD  REES 

MRS.  MABEL  SHEPARD  ROBINSON 

MRS.  BELLE  SHEPARD  RONAN 

WILLIAM  R.  RUSSELL 

RAY  M.  SANFORD 

Miss  ADDIE  E.  SHEPARD 

CHARLES  WILLIAM  SHEPARD 

FRED  H.  SHEPARD 

GEORGE  E.  SHEPARD,  JR. 

MRS.  HELEN  FOOTE  SKIFF 

MRS.  ALICE  SHEPARD  SMITH 

DR.  EDWARD  S.  SMITH 

PHILIP  C.  SMITH 

MRS.  PHILIP  C.  SMITH 

REV.  ROBERT  KEATING  SMITH 

MRS.  ROBERT  KEATING  SMITH 

DEXTER  A.  SNOW 

FRANKLIN  A.  SNOW 

Miss  ELLEN  W.  TALMADGE 

MRS.  EDWARD  TAYLOR 

Miss  HARRIET  A.  TAYLOR 

HENRY  G.  TAYLOR 

MRS.  HENRY  G.  TAYLOR 

Miss  MARY  S.  THAYER 

MRS.  ETTA  SNOW  TURNER 

MRS.  DELLA  LEE  VAN  DEUSEN 

LT.  COL.  EDWIN  R.  VAN  DEUSEN 

REV.  GABRIEL  J.  VAN  ROTH 

REV.  KONSTANTINAS  VASILAUSKAS 

MRS.  MARY  OWEN  WALKLEY 

MRS.  ETTA  SNOW  WATERMAN 

ARTHUR  F.  WAY 

JOHN  T.  WAY 

GEORGE  E.  WHIPPLE 

MRS.  FLORENCE  FULLER  WHITNEY 

MRS.  MARIA  MOSELEY  WHITNEY 

DR.  WILLIAM  H.  WHITNEY 

MRS.  ALICE  WALKLEY  WINSLOW 

MRS.  ANNE  SAUNDERS  WHITCOMB 


129 


WESTFIELD 


MASSACHUSETTS 


COMMITTEE  OF  ARRANGEMENTS 
ARCHIE  D.  ROBINSON,  Chairman 


MRS.  LUCY  LITTLE  ABBE 
PARK  W.  ALLEN 
LEONARD  C.  ATWATER 
WILLIAM  E.  ATWATER 
Miss  HELEN  M.  AUSTIN 
CHARLES  E.  AVERY 
Miss  FANNIE  BARER 
FRANK  P.  BARBER 
WILLIAM  L.  BARTLETT 
JOSEPH  D.  BATES 
LINDSEY  A.  BOLIO 
Miss  ALICE  CRARY  BROWN 
EDWARD  C.  BRYAN 
FLORENCE  W.  BURKE 
WILLIAM  SETH  BUSH 
SUMNER  B.  CAMPBELL 
WILBUR  G.  CARGILL 
Miss  ROSE  CARROLL 
Miss  ANNA  G.  CLARK 
EDWARD  G.  CLARK 
JAMES  H.  CLARK 
DENNIS  M.  COLE 
MRS.  GEORGE  W.  COLLIER 
DR.  WALLACE  J.  COLLINS 
ARTHUR  G.  COOK 
MRS.  ETHEL  KING  COWLES 
FRANK  E.  COWLES 
GLENN  B.  COWLES 
HARRY  A.  COWLES 
EDWARD  G.  CROTTY 
CHARLES  A.  DEWEY 
FRANK  S.  DEWEY 
Louis  M.  DEWEY 
THOMAS  J.  DEWEY,  JR. 
EDWARD  F.  DIEHL 
MRS.  G.  FRED  DILL 
MRS.  EUGENE  DOHERTY 
Miss  NELLIE  A.  DOHERTY 


CORNELIUS  F.  DONOVAN 

DR.  JULIUS  M.  DUTTON 

MRS.  CATHERINE  FREED  ENSIGN 

CHARLES  F.  ENSWORTH 

JOHN  P.  FOGARTY 

ALBERT  E.  FOWLER 

Miss  ELOISE  I.  FOWLER 

JOHN  H.  FOWLER 

MRS.  MARY  ALLEN  FOWLER 

Louis  M.  FULLER 

LESTER  E.  GIBBS 

WILLIAM  E.  GIBBS 

DARWIN  L.  GILLETT 

HARRY  W.  GLADWIN 

MRS.  LEONA  HALE  GOWDY 

ARCHIE  O.  GRANGER 

ARTHUR  E.  GREEN 

Miss  MARY  GRANT 

J.  LYMAN  GRAY 

MRS.  JAMES  W.  HAGAR 

HENRY  W.  HALLBOURG 

DERWIN  G.  HAMER 

MRS.    ISABELLE  GLADWIN  HEDGES 

JOHN  J.  HEARN 
MALCOLM  B.  HARDING 
MRS.  EDWARD  A.  HERRICK 
CHARLES  A.  HICKSON 
EDWARD  E.  HINSMAN 
ROBERT  C.  HOLLISTER 
WILLIAM  W.  HOSMER 
HAROLD  E.  HOWARD 
GEORGE  E.  HUBBARD 
EDWARD  H.  HULL 
FREDERICK  HULL 
EDWIN  M.  HUMPHREYVILLE 
MRS.  CHARLES  J.  ILES 
GEORGE  E.  JUDSON 
Miss  ELIZA  E.  KELLOGG 


130 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


MRS.  MAY  SIZER  KENYON 

MRS.  SADIE  BARNES  KNOX 

MRS.  HARRY  C.  LANE 

Miss  MAUD  A.  LEWIS 

REV.  JOHN  H.  LOCKWOOD 

MRS.  AXIE  VAN  DEUSEN  LOGIE 

MRS.  FRANCES  PARSONS  LOOMIS 

GEORGE  W.  LOOMIS 

MRS.  MARY  NOBLE  LOOMIS 

Miss  MARY  E.  LYMAN 

DR.  JOSEPH  MARONEY 

MRS.  JAMES  C.  MCCARTHY 

PRESTON  T.  MILLER 

MRS.  FRANCES  HASSLER  MORRISSEY 

ARTHUR  C.  MOSELY 

HARRIS  B.  MOULTON 

HORACE  G.  NELSON 

CLIFTON  A.  NOBLE 

MRS.  HOWARD  G.  NOBLE 

JAMES  M.  NOBLE 

ARTHUR  G.  NORTON 

MRS.  FRANK  C.  PARKER 

MRS.  ROSE  TRACY  PARKER 

HENRY  B.  PROUT 

HARRY  B.  PUTNAM 

WARD  REES 

Miss  EDITH  M.  ROB  BINS 

HOWARD  SHEPARD  ROBINSON 

GEORGE  E.  ROBINSON 

MRS.  JULIA  NOBLE  ROCKWOOD 

MlSS  A.  ROMAINE  RONAN 

Miss  LEONA  S.  RONAN 

DR.  EDWARD  J.  SAMMONS 


HERBERT  O.  SANFORD 
MRS.  IRENE  SAUTER  SANFORD 
LEIGH  SANFORD 
FRED  SCHMIDT 

DR.  ARTHUR  T.  SCHOONMAKER 
FREDERICK  H.  SCOTT 
GEORGE  H.  SHARP 
DR.  WALLACE  F.  SHAW 
MRS.  MARY  AVERY  SHEPARD 
EDWIN  F.  SHEPARD 
MRS.  MARY  CHAPMAN  SHINE 
GEORGE  T.  SLAUTER 
CHARLES  G.  SMITH 
MRS.  CLARA  GIBBS  SMITH 
EDWIN  J.  SMITH 
MRS.  FLORENCE  ELY  SMITH 
Miss  LOUISE  E.  SNOW 
Miss  MARY  E.  STEIMER 
HARRY  R.  STILES 
EDWARD  H.  TAYLOR 
JAMES  TIERNEY 
FREDERICK  J.  TOOKE 
GEORGE  A.  UPSON 
HENRY  M.  VAN  DEUSEN 
MRS.  MAY  VAN  DEUSEN 
SPENCER  M.  VAN  DEUSEN 
DR.  GEORGE  A.  WALKLEY 
MRS.  JENNIE  AUSTIN  WARREN 
MRS.  NELLIE  SHEPARD  WEST 
WILLIAM  C.  WHOLE  AN 
BERNARD  C.  WOLCOTT 
MRS.  IRMA  DYSON  WOLCOTT 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 


UNVEILING   CEREMONIES 

"If  rain  failed  to  halt  the  progress  of  the  parade,  it  did  disrupt 
the  ceremonies  planned  for  the  unveiling  and  the  dedication  of 
the  Major-General  William  Shepard  monument.  Optimists  to 
the  last,  the  committee  made  every  arrangement  for  carrying  out 
the  program  according  to  schedule.  The  Red  Cross  stand  was 
built,  and  occupied  by  a  few  brave  women.  Hundreds  of  seats 
had  been  placed  facing  the  exedra  and  the  statue  for  the  unveiling 
exercises  and  the  accommodation  of  those  who  wished  to  remain 
for  the  speaking.  The  prescribed  areas  were  roped  off  also,  to 
handle  the  dense  crowds  which  had  been  expected.  The  weather 
forced  the  abandonment  of  this  plan,  and  at  the  last  moment  it 
was  decided  to  have  the  exercises  in  the  Methodist  Church  which 
is  located  within  a  few  rods  of  the  statue. 

"Almost  before  the  military  parade  had  finished  passing  the 
reviewing  stand,  Miss  Elizabeth  Grover  Shepard,  of  Short  Hills, 
N.  J.,  great-great-great-granddaughter  of  the  Revolutionary  hero, 
accompanied  by  Edwin  Shepard  of  Westfield,  a  great-great-grand- 
son of  Westfield 's  General  and  a  returned  overseas  service  man, 
stepped  to  the  statue  exedra.  Chairman  Henry  W.  Ely  of  the 
Monument  Committee  spoke  briefly.  Miss  Shepard  placed  a 
wreath  at  the  base  of  the  statue  and  then  pulled  the  unveiling- 
cord,  and  as  the  shroud  slipped  from  the  great  bronze  figure,  two 
huge  American  flags  unfolded  slowly  at  either  side.  This  com- 
pleted the  unveiling  ceremony. 

"  Notices  nailed  to  trees  and  buildings  told  of  the  change  of 
arrangements  and  within  a  few  moments  the  Methodist  Church 
was  packed  to  capacity.  Before  the  opening  of  the  official  pro- 
gram there  were  selections  by  the  church  organist.  As  the  party 
of  distinguished  guests  and  members  of  the  several  committees 
filed  to  the  pulpit  platform,  the  audience  rose  in  greeting  and 
remained  standing  while  the  iO4th  Infantry  Band  played  'Gloria' 
from  Twelfth  Mass'  by  Mozart. " — The  Springfield  Union. 


132 


SPEAKERS  AT  DEDICATION 
OF  THE  GENERAL  SHEPARD  MONUMENT 


Arthur  S.  Kneil 

John  H.  Lockwood,  D.  D. 


Henry  \V.  Ely 
Louis  L.  Keefe 


Speakers  at  Dedication  of  the  General  Shepard  Monument 


His  Excellency  Calvin  Coolidge,  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts 
Hon.  Samuel  W.  McCall,  former  Governor  of  Massachusetts 
Major-General  Clarence  R.  Edwards,  United  States  Army 
John  C.  Robinson 

Speakers  at  Dedication  of  the  General  Shepard  Monument 


STATUE  OF 

Major-General   William   Shepard 

Unveiled  at  Westfield,  Massachusetts, 
SEPTEMBER  3,  1919 


133 


ORDER  of  EXERCISES 


"Gloria"  from  "Twelfth  Mass"  Mozart 

104th  REGIMENTAL  BAND 

Address  of  Welcome  Henry  W.  Ely,  Chairman 

"America"  Samud  F.  Smith 

BANDS,  CHOIR  AND  PEOPLE 

Invocation  Rev.  John  H.  Lockwood 

Unveiling  of  Statue  Elizabeth  Grover  Shepard 

attended  by  Edwin  Shepard 

Introduction  of  Augustus  Lukeman,  Sculptor     Chairman 
Presentation  of  Monument  Arthur  S.  Kneil 

Acceptance  of  Monument  Louis  L.  Keefe 

Address  John  C.  Robinson 

"General  Shepard,  Citizen  and  Soldier" 

"American  Hymn"  Kdler 

CHOIR 

Address  Governor  Calvin  Coolidge 

Oration  Honorable  Samuel  W.  McCall 

Address  Major-General  Clarence  R.  Edwards 

"Commandery  March"  Carter 

CONSOLIDATED  BANDS.  104th  and  SHORTS 


134 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

INVOCATION 
REV.  JOHN  H.  LOCKWOOD,  D.D. 

Thou  Eternal  God,  our  Father,  Father  of  all  men,  of  every 
nation,  we  lift  to  Thee  this  day  the  voice  of  thanksgiving  that 
our  lot  has  fallen  in  such  a  goodly  heritage,  that  we  have  so  great 
a  domain  and  so  noble  an  ancestry  to  remember  at  this  time.  We 
call  upon  our  souls  and  all  that  is  within  us  to  bless  and  magnify 
Thy  great  and  holy  name,  and,  remembering  Thy  many  mercies, 
we  remember  especially  today  the  heroic  lives  that  have  made 
this  land  what  it  is,  in  character  and  in  blessedness. 

We  thank  Thee  for  those  noble  souls  who  from  generation  to 
generation  have  sought  not  their  own,  but  have  merged  their 
personality  into  the  weal  of  the  common  good.  We  thank  Thee 
that  we  have  one  especially  to  remember  this  day,  who  went 
out  from  this  region,  a  lad,  to  fight  the  battles  of  his  country; 
and  again  when  his  country  was  menaced  went  out  to  spend  years 
in  faithful,  devoted,  efficient  service. 

We  thank  Thee  that  as  we  gather  today  so  worthy  a  leader  is 
impressed  upon  us.  We  thank  Thee  for  those  who  have  come 
after  him  who,  like  him,  have  considered  their  own  personal  good 
but  a  privilege  by  way  of  offering  upon  the  nation's  welfare. 
And  we  pray  Thee,  O  Lord,  that  as  our  poor  minds  are  stirred  up 
by  way  of  remembrance,  our  wills  may  be  energized  to  do  our 
part  in  this  goodly  line,  to  take  the  torch  that  has  come  down 
to  us  undimmed  and  pass  it  on  with  quickening  glow  to  those  who 
shall  come  after  us,  so  that  this  land  shall  continue  to  be  a  heri- 
tage for  all  the  oppressed,  for  the  poor  and  the  needy,  and  shall 
continue  to  be  instinct  with  high  purposes  and  holy  ideals. 

Bless  those  who  shall  take  part  in  these  exercises,  and  grant 
that  everything  that  is  done  here  in  concluding  this  memorial 
celebration  shall  redound  to  Thine  honor  and  may  tend  to  provoke 
to  nobler  manhood  and  worthier  citizenship  all  who  relate  it  to 
this  goodly  town. 

Hear  us,  and  do  unto  us  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that 
we  ask  of  Thee.  Amen. 


135 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 


ADDRESS  OF  WELCOME 

HENRY  W.  ELY 

Fellow  Citizens: 

Citizens  of  no  mean  country, — a  country  of  unnumbered 
acres;  rich  in  natural  resources,  producing  under  its  own 
flag  every  necessity  and  luxury  sufficient  to  feed,  clothe, 
arm  and  transport  from  continent  to  continent  half  of  the 
civilized  world;  first  in  primary  and  industrial  education 
and  in  the  practice  of  the  useful  arts;  courageous,  without 
fear;  invincible  in  war;  the  refuge  for  more  than  two  cen- 
turies of  the  poor,  oppressed,  and  of  such  as  seek  liberty 
and  happiness  from  everywhere,  that  seek  conscience  free- 
dom, without  distinction  as  to  race,  creed  or  religion;  the 
home  of  the  sower  and  the  reaper,  of  the  scholar,  the  artisan 
and  the  mechanic,  the  homemakers  country,  we  welcome 
you. 

Your  country  has  not  been,  and  is  not  now,  a  quitter 
country;  it  is  in  no  sense  a  negative  country;  it  is  not  a 
neutral  country;  no  country  in  a  hundred  years  has  exer- 
cised indirectly  at  least  a  more  potential  and  commanding 
influence  in  all  lands,  than  has  the  United  States  of  America. 
Its  missionaries  of  every  kind  have  carried  to  the  ends  of 
the  earth  backed  by  the  strongest  public  opinion  at  home, 
the  gospel  of  right  living  and  the  establishment  of  right 
government.  Your  country  carries  in  the  forefront  of  civil- 
ization the  torch  that  is  lighting  the  way  of  human  prog- 
ress through  the  ages.  From  the  force  of  circumstances 
and  by  reason  of  its  inherent  fundamental  Tightness  and 
soundness  the  United  States  holds  in  its  hands  responsi- 
bility for  the  future  conscientious  conduct  and  civilization 
throughout  the  world. 

The  right  of  this  Republic  to  live,  to  everlasting  life  is  not 
based  on  our  uncounted  acres  or  our  material  resources, 

136 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

but  on  moral  sovereignty,  the  tenacity  with  which  our 
people  have  clung  to  this  ideal;  to  the  Pilgrim  and  Revo- 
lutionary fathers  who  came  into  this  wilderness  world  and 
with  their  bare  hands  established  a  new  nation  for  them- 
selves and  their  posterity;  in  short,  this  government  is  a 
composite  man  not  like  the  chain  as  weak  or  strong  as  the 
weakest  link,  but  stronger  than  the  strongest  man,  wiser 
than  the  wisest  man,  more  patient  than  the  most  patient 
man,  more  altruistic  than  any  man.  While  I  have  seen 
men  who  would  take  advantage  of  or  receive  special  favors 
from  their  government  through  weakness  or  selfishness,  I 
have  never  yet  seen  an  American  who  would  for  a  moment 
tolerate  departure  by  his  government  from  the  highest  type 
of  morality,  justice,  brotherly  kindness  or  be  willing  that 
his  government  should  do  less  than  its  utmost  in  the  inter- 
est not  only  of  his  countrymen,  but  all  distressed  and  suffer- 
ing peoples  everywhere. 

Westfield  remembers  today,  with  satisfaction  and  pride, 
the  thousands  of  its  sons  and  daughters  who,  in  the  gone  by 
years,  wrought  worthily  and  effectively  and  have  passed 
over  to  the  majority.  We  feel  the  influence  of  their  poten- 
tial lives;  they  are  not  lost  to  us,  these  inhabitants  of 
another  country  are  with  us  now.  It  is  our  great  good 
fortune  and  pleasure  to  welcome  as  our  guests  His  Excel- 
lency, the  governor  of  the  Commonwealth,  a  former  dis- 
tinguished governor  of  the  Commonwealth,  a  major  gen- 
eral of  the  United  States  Army,  and  distinguished  citizens 
occupying  high  places  in  the  government  of  our  country, 
our  Commonwealth,  our  county  and  our  town;  one  and 
all  we  welcome  you. 

And  you  venerable  citizens,  soldiers  of  1861,  who  came 
forward  at  your  country's  call  to  take  part  in  the  irrepres- 
sible conflict  for  the  preservation  of  the  union,  and  to  bring 
freedom  and  opportunity  to  an  oppressed  race,  you  boys  in 
blue, — God  bless  and  keep  you  each  and  every  one, — we 

137 


WESTFIELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

greet  you.  And  you  sons  approaching  middle  life  who  went 
forth  in  accordance  with  the  best  traditions  of  this  country 
to  bring  liberty  and  opportunity,  to  establish  orderly  gov- 
ernment in  Cuba,  and  in  the  Philippines,  we  extend  to 
you  a  most  hearty  welcome. 

America,  the  child,  has  proved  its  regard  for  Europe, 
the  parent.  You  sons  of  Westfield,  who  but  yesterday 
rallied  around  the  banner  of  the  great  republic  and  in  the 
fiercest  struggle  of  the  ages  hurled  back  the  forces  of  polit- 
ical and  moral  reaction  on  the  battlefields  of  France,  on  the 
sea,  in  the  air,  and  in  the  training  camps  of  America,  we 
acclaim  and  applaud  you  for  the  battles  won  and  purpose 
accomplished;  we  mourn  with  you  and  for  the  comrades 
who  gave  their  lives  that  the  cause  of  freedom  and  liberty 
might  live.  We  receive  you  back  into  our  arms  with  hearts 
of  thankfulness  and  with  confident  smiles  for  a  glorious 
future. 

And  you,  who  were  not  born  in  this  freedom  and  citizen- 
ship, purchased  and  defended  at  such  great  price  by  our 
ancestors,  men  and  women  to  whom  such  freedom  is  not 
an  inheritance,  but  who  have  been  made  citizens  under 
just  laws  and  by  court's  decree,  as  though  you  were  to  the 
manor  born,  we  welcome  you.  And  you  who  represent 
peoples  to  whom  the  friendly  hand  of  the  United  States 
has  been  outstretched,  feeding  them  when  they  were  hun- 
gry, clothing  them  when  they  were  naked,  and  delivering 
them  from  the  hands  of  their  oppressors  in  the  generations 
that  have  passed  and  in  this  generation,  although  we  can- 
not, and  no  organization  or  aggregation  of  citizens  can, 
grant  to  you  the  privilege  of  participating  in  any  way  in 
the  direction  and  control  of  the  affairs  of  the  government, 
to  whom  we  cannot  properly  grant  the  right  even  to 
create  public  opinion  that  can  in  any  way  give  direction  to 
the  country,  we  recognize  you  as  brothers,  as  friends,  and 
your  great  service  to  us.  We  trust  that  we  may  be  of 

138 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

equally  great  service  to  you,  and  extend  to  you  a  hearty 
welcome. 

If  there  is  here  today  any  man,  like  the  guest  especially 
invited  to  John  Norton's  Christmas  in  the  bleak,  snow- 
bound wilderness,  the  vagabond,  the  man  who  had  lost 
his  courage, — if  there  is  any  man  here,  or  woman  here,  or 
anywhere,  over  whose  eyes  events  and  circumstances  have 
so  woven  a  web  that  his  vision  is  obscured,  who  does  not 
see  quite  clearly,  and  through  some  real  or  fancied  griev- 
ance is  in  some  doubt  as  to  whether  or  not  this  great  coun- 
try can  meet  its  problems  and  solve  them,  is  in  some  doubt 
as  to  whether  or  not  in  the  goings  and  the  comings  this 
country  has  or  will  establish  justice,  insure  domestic  tran- 
quillity, provide  for  the  common  defence,  and  promote  the 
general  welfare, — if  there  is  one  here  that  is  in  doubt 
whether  or  not  this  nation  can  and  will  meet  all  its  enemies, 
foreign  and  domestic,  and  strangle  them  to  death,  we 
especially  welcome  you,  that  you  may  today  hear  voices 
out  of  the  great,  whispering  galleries  of  the  past,  that  you 
may  see  the  movement  of  marching  men  at  Lexington  and 
Concord  and  Bunker  Hill  and  Saratoga  and  Trenton  and 
Yorktown.  We  welcome  you  one  and  all  to  take  part  in 
the  doings  of  this  day. 


139 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


PRESENTATION  OF   MONUMENT 

Introducing  Mr.  Lukeman,  Mr.  Ely  said:  You  have  all  seen  the  beautiful 
statue  of  General  Shepard  on  the  Green.  I  know  it  will  be  a  pleasure  to  you 
to  greet  the  gentleman  and  distinguished  sculptor  who  fashioned  that  statue. 
It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  introduce  Augustus  Lukeman  of  New  York. 

Mr.  Lukeman  did  not  speak,  but  he  received  prolonged  applause  as  he  rose 
and  bowed. 

In  behalf  of  the  committee  who  had  charge  of  its  erection,  Arthur  S.  Kneil 
Presented  the  statue  to  the  town,  and  Louis  J.  Keefe  formally  accepted  it  for 
the  citizens  of  Westfield. 

ARTHUR  S.  KNEIL 

Fellow  Citizens  of  Westfield: 

I  have  the  honor,  in  behalf  of  the  committee  appointed 
by  the  town  to  procure  and  erect  a  suitable  monument  to 
General  Shepard,  to  report  the  completion  and  erection  of 
a  statue  in  accordance  with  the  vote  of  the  town. 

It  is  my  further  high  privilege,  on  the  part  of  this  com- 
mittee, now  to  officially  transfer  this  statue  and  memorial 
to  the  town,  through  its  selectmen. 

It  is  the  work  of  a  noted  sculptor,  one  of  the  highest 
achievements  of  his  great  art  and,  we  believe,  is  destined 
to  be  one  of  the  distinguished  works  of  sculpture  in  New 
England. 

Its  setting  is  in  an  exedra  of  artistic  beauty,  which  is 
designed  for  practical  and  common  use,  as  an  agora  or 
forum  for  public  concourse  and  civic  or  political  discussion 
and  debate. 

It  is  placed  in  the  heart  of  the  town.  It  is  close  to  the 
site  of  the  church  through  whose  doors  he  went  many  years 
as  a  member  and  deacon.  It  is  near  to  the  old  Academy, 
an  early  school  of  higher  education  of  which  he  was  a 
founder  and  an  original  trustee.  It  is  opposite  the  site  of 
the  old  Town  House  where  he  often  presided  as  moderator 

140 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

of  the  annual  meetings  and  elections  and  in  which  he  sat 
as  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Correspondence  and 
Safety,  as  the  dark  and  portentous  clouds  of  revolution 
were  gathering;  from  which  he  went  out  as  a  selectman 
when  the  news  came  of  the  fight  at  Lexington,  and  to  which 
he  came  back  to  serve  again,  though  then  exalted  in  na- 
tional honor,  as  selectman  of  the  little  town. 

It  is  placed  on  our  beautiful  town  Green,  co-eval  with 
our  earliest  life,  where  he  gathered  and  drilled  his  minute- 
men  and  whence  he  led  them  out  to  Dorchester  Heights 
and  the  great  Revolution.  It  stands  upon  a  spot  inter- 
woven with  all  our  history  and  traditions,  with  which  much 
of  his  later  life  was  associated,  and  where,  in  his  later  years, 
he  was  an  inspiring  and  beloved  figure  on  training  days. 

It  is  not  for  me  to  recite  his  history  and  state  his  record 
of  military  and  civic  performance  and  achievement.  That 
is  to  be  told  to  you  by  others. 

Distinguished  as  a  general,  legislator  and  statesman; 
distinguished,  also,  for  faithful  performance,  throughout 
his  life  of  the  plain,  primitive  duties  of  good  citizenship, 
and  for  constant  fulfillment  of  his  obligations  to  his  coun- 
try and  his  fellowmen,  it  has  seemed  a  fitting  thing  to  erect 
a  statue  to  him  and  his  memory.  He  was  a  soldier  of  many 
years  active  service  in  two  of  his  country's  historic  wars; 
rising  from  the  position  of  private  to  that  of  high  general 
command ;  a  statesman  taking  part  in  the  legislative  coun- 
sels of  his  fellows  and,  with  equal  talent  and  wisdom  nego- 
tiating treaties  at  the  councils  of  the  Penobscot  Indians 
and  in  the  Long  House  of  the  Iroquois. 

He  was  a  soldier  and  a  statesman;  but  above  all  things 
and  at  all  times  he  was  a  citizen  of  the  Republic  and  of 
democracy. 

It  is  a  grateful  tribute  to  a  great  and  worthy  man  who, 
in  the  classic  words  with  which  the  Roman  people  con- 
ferred their  highest  honors,  deserved  well  of  his  town,  his 

141 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

colony,  his  commonwealth  and  nation.  It  is  a  memorial  of 
the  sacrifices,  the  heroic  deeds,  the  inspired  principles  and 
lofty  purposes  of  our  Revolutionary  forefathers.  It  is  a 
token  of  our  recognition  of  the  cardinal,  vital  worth  of  good 
citizenship,  both  in  war  and  peace ;  and  of  the  fundamental 
importance  of  ready  and  constant  performance  of  civic 
duties. 

On  no  other  structures  can  the  certain  and  abiding  foun- 
dations of  a  state  be  laid. 

We  rear  today  a  memorial  to  the  ever  memorable  past; 
we  rear  also  a  memorial  and  a  pledge  for  both  the  present 
and  the  future;  and  this  we  do  at  a  time  when  the  farmers' 
shot  at  Lexington,  once  heard  around  the  world,  now  sounds 
around  the  world  again  in  tones  of  thunder. 

To  quote  great  words  which  it  is  almost  irreverent  to 
repeat,  it  is  not  for  us  to  dedicate  but  rather  for  us  to  be 
dedicated  to  the  great  tasks  and  mighty  purposes  before  us. 

The  long,  eternal  march  of  human  kind  goes  by.  We 
are  in  the  front  but  for  a  moment.  Far  off,  against  the 
almost  inaccessible  skies  are  the  banners  and  spear  heads 
of  the  mighty  army  which  has  gone  before.  Behind,  fast 
crowding  upon  us,  come  the  advancing  generations.  We 
present  this  memorial  to  be  a  public  testimony  and  affirma- 
tion, through  the  presence  of  this  voiceless  but  speaking 
bronze,  that  we  have  kept  faith  with  the  great  and  heroic 
past;  that  we  have  held  and  fulfilled  the  sacred  tradition, 
handed  to  us  by  the  fathers;  and,  further,  to  be  a  token  of 
renewal,  by  those  who  follow  behind  us,  of  the  solemn 
covenant  that  the  republic  which  the  men  who  won  our 
liberties  and  framed  our  government  ordained  for  them- 
selves and  their  posterity,  shall  never  perish  from  the 
earth. 


142 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

ACCEPTANCE  OF   MONUMENT 
Louis  L.  KEEFE 

It  is  quite  evident  that  you  have  listened  with  attention 
and  pleasure  to  the  gentlemen  who  have  spoken,  one 
extending  to  you  on  this  inclement  day  the  welcome  greet- 
ings of  Westfield  and  one  presenting  you  with  a  work  of  art 
of  surpassing  design  and  execution,  something  which  we 
believe  your  children  will  cherish  and  which  will  be  to 
distant  generations  an  inspiration  and  delight. 

Have  we  not  this  day  beheld  the  consummation  of  genius 
and  art,  of  art  revealed  through  the  hand  and  the  eye, 
and  of  genius  whose  noblest  expression  comes  through  the 
lips  from  the  heart!  And,  having  reached  the  summit,  it 
were  as  well  no  doubt  that  we  might  now  rest  content,  for 
in  every  affair  of  consequence  there  are  supreme  heights 
beyond  which  genius  cannot  go,  and  those  bounds  seem  to 
have  been  irremovably  fixed,  whether  it  is  Stevenson  who 
stabs  a  woman  in  the  wilderness  at  midnight,  or  Victor 
Hugo  who  kindles  a  divine  and  celestial  light  in  the  dark 
conscience  of  some  poor,  unhappy  convict  slave.  But 
custom  and  your  tendency  for  detail  seem  to  require  a  few 
words  in  acceptance  and  reply, — a  privilege  for  which  one 
might  be  truly  grateful,  but  an  honor  hardly  to  be  repaid. 

In  the  Apennines  there  are  shadows  so  somber  and  deep 
and  dark  that  a  cautious  soul  hesitates  to  advance.  It  is 
not  our  purpose,  therefore,  to  attempt  a  further  inquiry 
into  a  subject  which  has  been  so  well,  though  briefly, 
discussed.  Our  duties  lie  in  simple,  humble  ways,  like 
those  who  dim  the  lights  after  the  banquet  is  over. 

In  the  long  train  of  events,  culminating  with  the  exer- 
cises of  today,  and  stretching  back  for  two  centuries  and  a 
half,  so  many  glorious  things  have  been  achieved,  the 
record  of  human  progress  has  been  so  amazingly  advanced, 

143 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

individual  effort  has  attained  to  heights  so  singular  and 
extreme,  it  is  of  slight  consequence — of  no  consequence — 
what  may  be  spoken  here.  Here  are  all  those  glorious 
memories  revived,  of  Concord  and  Lexington,  and  here 
have  we  once  again  been  brought  very  close  to  the  pain  and 
suffering  of  those  desperate,  dark  days. 

For  when  that  army  of  half  starved  Continentals  at 
Valley  Forge  was  the  most  that  stood  between  liberty  and 
oppression,  how  beautiful  and  singular  to  reflect  that  out 
of  suffering  may  come  happiness,  that  out  of  the  darkness 
of  war,  that  out  of  discord  and  tumult  and  of  loud  alarm 
may  come  a  kind  of  universal  harmony,  plaintive  and 
sweet,  like  the  rich  voices  of  those  musical  southerners 
singing  their  plantation  melodies  in  the  night  time. 

In  the  battle  at  Concord  Bridge — something  which  today 
would  be  called  a  skirmish,  but  yet  a  battle  which  stirred 
all  civilization  to  its  very  depths — in  that  battle  were 
killed  two  English  soldiers  whose  names  were  never  learned, 
and  there  a  few  yards  from  the  bridge,  in  among  weeds  by 
the  roadside,  their  grave  was  made,  which  in  time  has  been 
surmounted  by  a  plain,  flat  stone,  bearing  this  inscription 
by  Mr.  Lowell: 

"They  came  three  thousand  miles  and  died 
To  keep  the  Past  secure  upon  its  throne." 

"To  keep  the  Past  secure  upon  its  throne!"  That  brief 
tribute  to  the  patriotism  of  the  dead  soldier  is  an  epitome 
of  all  England's  glory. 

And  have  not  you  in  some  wise  been  animated  to  the 
same  purpose  in  building  this  memorial  to  a  soldier  man, 
and  that  the  past  might  keep  its  place  in  your  memory  and 
not  be  forgotten?  And  so  it  seems  that  the  spirit  of  1776, 
the  call  of  the  past,  the  call  which  led  the  patriots  through 
the  hardships  of  many  a  bleak  winter,  has  led  you  here 

144 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

today,  just  as  the  call  of  the  woods  leads  many  a  social 
spirit  into  their  solitary,  appealing  haunts. 

It  is  well  for  the  soul  that  it  has  ways  to  expand.  That 
memorial  which  you  have  come  today  to  dedicate,  appeal- 
ing as  it  does  to  the  intellect  as  well  as  to  the  eye,  has  a 
power  that  shall  irresistibly  draw  you,  speaks  with  a  voice 
you  cannot  choose  but  hear.  To  some  it  will  be  a  symbol 
of  strength  and  resolution  and  strong  will,  qualities  which 
befit  a  patriot  and  soldier.  To  a  few  it  will  mean  only  so 
many  hours  of  labor,  which  were  as  well  spent  in  the  wheat 
fields  or  mending  the  roads,  for  humanity  is  a  vast  sea  in 
which  the  soundings  are  not  always  deep.  But  to  you, 
who  look  upon  it  with  grateful  eyes,  and  with  eyes  drawn  to 
beauty  and  truth,  it  represents  more  than  so  many  strokes 
with  a  hammer.  It  represents  the  soul  struggling  to  ex- 
press an  ideal.  And,  by  the  same  token  and  in  some  such 
way,  life  is  not  made  up  of  great  events  and  cunning 
strokes,  but  somewhat  of  devotion,  of  sacrifice  and  faith 
and  love. 

Mr.  Chairman,  gentlemen,  your  committee:  In  behalf 
of  the  citizens  of  Westfield,  in  behalf  of  her  youth,  who, 
growing  soon  familiar  with  the  character  of  General  Shep- 
ard,  shall  the  sooner  learn  that  truth,  that  integrity  is  the 
only  nobility,  and  shall  learn  to  reverence  their  country, 
for  which  men  in  very  love  and  devotion  have  yielded  their 
lives;  in  behalf  of  those  who  toil  in  factory  and  field,  who 
may  see  in  that  Shepard  statue  something  which  cheers 
and  exalts,  and  who,  reflecting  at  times  on  the  tranquillity 
of  a  useful  life,  shall  learn  there,  if  nowhere  else,  that  con- 
tent is  the  only  wealth ;  in  behalf  of  her  scholars,  who,  remem- 
bering the  glory  of  Thermopylae,  shall  not  forget  the 
sacrifices  at  Gettysburg;  in  behalf  of  posterity,  who,  from 
age  to  age,  shall  pass  that  way  and  shall  confess  their 
gratitude  -  for  an  ancestry  so  generous,  so  prominent,  so 
mindful,  so  thoughtful  of  the  future;  and  in  loving  remem- 

10  145 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

brance  of  those  heroic  young  men  who  sleep  today  on  the 
hills  of  France,  we  accept  this  Shepard  memorial,  which,  if 
you  will,  shall  this  day  be  dedicated  to  the  eternal  prin- 
ciples of  justice  and  freedom. 

And  to  you,  gentlemen  of  the  committee,  in  all  sincerity 
our  thanks  are  extended  for  the  labor  which  you  so  gener- 
ously, thoughtfully  and — may  I  not  say? — lovingly  have 
performed.  Our  citizens  of  West  field  from  your  com- 
mittee's hands  through  mine  receive  this  memorial  to  one 
whom  Nature  blessed  with  a  courageous  mind.  I  know 
not  from  what  great  depths  it  came,  what  labor  wrenched 
it  from  its  ancient  bed,  or  in  what  flaming  furnace  it  was 
fashioned  to  that  fair  design,  but  this  we  may  assert — if 
you  are  true  to  the  ideals  which  are  there  so  plainly  set 
forth  you  cannot  fail.  Courage,  it  seems  to  say,  and 
faith,  and  the  victory  is  yours! 

Receive  it,  then,  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  has  been  so 
graciously  presented,  and  sometimes  when  you  pass  that 
way  reflect  for  a  moment  upon  the  courage  and  piety  and 
dignity  of  the  life  which  has  gone,  and  see  if  we  do  not  agree 
in  this — that  from  the  contemplation  of  the  beautiful  and 
of  the  sublime  we  gather  strength  for  the  heroic  things 
in  life  and  a  better  comprehension  of  its  wonderful 
possibilities. 


146 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


Introducing  Mr.  John  C.  Robinson,  Mr.  Ely  said:  Probably  there  is  no 
family  in  Westfield  better  known  than  the  family  of  Moseley.  From  earliest 
times  of  our  town  history  they  have  occupied  places  of  importance,  trust  and 
honor.  Permit  me  to  present  one  of  the  sons  of  that  family,  John  C.  Robinson, 
of  Springfield. 

GENERAL  SHEPARD,  CITIZEN  AND  SOLDIER 

JOHN  C.  ROBINSON 
Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

I  appreciate  your  courteous  introduction,  and  I  am  very 
glad  that  my  ancestors  were  the  friends  and  associates  of 
General  Shepard.  When  he  was  made  a  brigadier-general 
it  was  my  great-great-grandfather,  David  Moseley,  who, 
having  formerly  served  as  his  lieutenant-colonel,  succeeded 
him  as  colonel  of  the  Third  Massachusetts  Infantry.  And 
later  General  Shepard's  son  William  married  the  colonel's 
daughter,  making  the  association  of  the  families  still  closer. 

As  a  boy  in  Westfield  I  knew  a  number  of  men  who  in 
their  youth  had  known  General  Shepard.  My  own  grand- 
father was  a  young  man  of  about  twenty  when  General 
Shepard. died,  and  I  remember  with  what  universal  respect 
his  name  was  always  mentioned.  But  it  is  more  than  a 
hundred  years  since  he  was  laid  at  rest  in  the  old  cemetery 
on  Mechanic  Street,  and  there  is  no  one  alive  today  who 
can  speak  of  him  personally.  To  most  of  you  he  is  little 
more  than  a  name,  and  it  seems  altogether  fitting  that  we 
should  consider,  as  simply  and  as  briefly  as  possible,  who 
he  was,  what  he  did,  who  were  the  men  with  whom  he  was 
associated,  what  were  the  events  in  which  he  played  a  part. 

William  Shepard  was  born  in  Westfield  in  1737.  His 
father  was  John  Shepard,  a  tanner,  and  his  mother  before 
her  marriage  was  Elizabeth  Noble.  His  grandfather,  also 
a  John  Shepard,  was  born  in  Suffolk  County,  England,  and 
settled  in  Westfield  about  1700. 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

William  Shepard  was  the  fourth  child  in  a  family  of  nine, 
and  after  attending  Westfield's  single  school  he  enlisted, 
at  the  age  of  seventeen,  as  a  common  soldier  in  the  colonial 
forces  at  the  outbreak  of  the  French  and  Indian  War. 
After  about  two  years  he  was  promoted  to  a  sergeancy, 
somewhat  later  to  a  lieutenancy,  and  reached  the  rank  of 
captain  before  the  end  of  the  war. 

He  served  under  Abercrombie  in  the  disastrous  attack 
on  Fort  Ticonderoga,  and  later,  under  General  Amherst, 
took  part  in  the  campaign  that  drove  the  enemy  from  Lake 
George  and  Lake  Champlain,  and,  in  co-operation  with 
Wolfe's  capture  of  Quebec,  brought  the  war  to  an  end. 

It  is  an  odd  and  interesting  coincidence  that  in  this  war 
he  should  have  served  first  as  a  lieutenant  under  Colonel 
Ephraim  Williams,  the  founder  of  Williams  College,  a 
scholarly  man,  who  inspired  him  with  an  ambition  to  im- 
prove his  limited  education,  and  later  as  a  captain  under 
General  Amherst,  for  whom  the  other  of  our  older  western 
Massachusetts  colleges  is  named. 

Returning  to  Westfield  at  the  end  of  the  war,  he  married, 
at  the  age  of  twenty- two,  Sarah  Dewey,  a  girl  of  eighteen, 
and  for  the  next  fourteen  years  he  lived  quietly  the  life  of  a 
farmer  and  country  surveyor,  caring  for  his  growing  family 
and  taking  little  or  no  part  in  the  events  leading  up  to  the 
Revolutionary  War. 

In  1774  he  was  elected  a  selectman,  and  later  in  the  same 
year  was  made  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Public 
Safety  and  Correspondence. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  he  was  commissioned 
lieutenant-colonel  of  the  Third  Massachusetts  Infantry. 
This  regiment  joined  the  American  forces  outside  of  Boston 
sometime  in  June,  1775.  The  battle  of  Bunker  Hill  was 
fought  on  the  I7th,  and  he  did  not  take  part  in  that  historic 
struggle,  though  he  may  have  been  in  Roxbury  or  Cam- 
bridge at  the  time. 

148 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

A  few  weeks  later  Washington  assumed  command  of  the 
Army,  and  in  his  correspondence  and  diary  bitterly  com- 
plained of  the  inefficiency  and  inexperience  of  most  of  the 
officers  under  him.  Shepard's  energy,  sense  and  experience 
soon  attracted  his  attention,  and  they  became  friends,  a 
friendship  that  lasted  as  long  as  Washington  lived. 

After  the  evacuation  of  Boston  by  the  British  in  the 
spring  of  1776  Shepard's  regiment  was  transferred  to  Long 
Island,  he  himself  made  its  colonel,  and  it  was  attached  to 
General  Glover's  division.  In  the  well  executed  retreat 
from  Long  Island,  following  General  Putnam's  defeat, 
Glover's  division  acted  as  a  rear  guard  and,  a  few  weeks 
later,  at  Pell's  Point,  when  Washington's  Army  was 
stretched  out  along  the  east  shore  of  the  Hudson,  this 
division,  unaided,  defeated  a  vastly  superior  British  force 
that  had  all  but  cut  the  American  Army  in  two. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  furiously  contested  and  critical 
battles  of  the  Revolution,  and  in  it  Shepard  was  seriously 
wounded.  He  seems  to  have  recovered  quickly,  however, 
for  he  was  with  Washington  in  the  retreat  across  the  Jer- 
seys, and  at  Trenton  and  Princeton — those  two  brilliant 
victories  that  did  so  much  to  raise  the  courage  of  the  almost 
disheartened  colonies — it  was  again  Glover's  division  that 
played  a  most  important  part. 

This  ended  the  fighting  for  that  winter,  but  the  next 
summer  we  find  Shepard  in  the  north  with  Gates  in  his 
campaign  against  Burgoyne.  He  seems,  however,  to  have 
been  recalled  by  Washington  sometime  during  the  season, 
for  when  Burgoyne  surrendered  at  Saratoga  in  October  the 
Third  Infantry  was  under  the  command  of  his  successor. 

The  following  winter  Shepard  spent  with  Washington 
at  Valley  Forge.  There  he  was  in  close  contact  with  Alex- 
ander Hamilton,  who  had  been  a  fellow  soldier  with  him 
in  the  Long  Island  and  Jersey  campaigns,  but  had  now 
become  Washington's  aide-de-camp.  He  also  met  here 

149 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

for  the  first  time  the  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  who  had 
joined  Washington's  Army  while  he  was  in  the  north,  and 
tradition  says  that  they  were  closely  associated  for  the  bal- 
ance of  the  war.  There  seems  to  be  some  question  regard- 
ing this,  however,  for  shortly  after  the  battle  of  Monmouth 
and  the  Rhode  Island  campaign,  in  which  they  were  both 
engaged,  Lafayette  returned  to  France  and  did  not  come 
back  to  this  country  again  until  shortly  before  the  end  of 
the  war. 

After  the  battle  of  Monmouth  Shepard  was  one  of  the 
judges  in  the  court  martial  that  convicted  General  Lee, 
and  it  was  during  this  summer  that  he  was  made  a  briga- 
dier-general. 

It  is  difficult  to  trace  his  career  after  he  became  a  general. 
The  records  are  fragmentary  and  conflicting.  It  seems, 
however,  that  he  spent  considerable  time  with  Washington, 
was  ordered  by  him  on  special  missions,  and  that  he  also 
served  with  Gates  and  afterwards  with  Greene  in  their 
southern  campaigns,  leading  up  to  the  surrender  of  Corn- 
wallis  at  Yorktown  in  1 78 1 . 

This  closed  his  career  as  a  Revolutionary  soldier,  for, 
while  there  was  desultory  fighting  from  this  time  up  to  the 
signing  of  the  peace  treaty,  he  took  no  part  in  it,  though  he 
was  not  definitely  discharged  until  1 783. 

The  years  from  the  close  of  the  Revolution  to  Washing- 
ton's election  as  President  have  been  termed  the  most  crit- 
ical period  in  American  history,  and  during  this  time  Gen- 
eral Shepard  served  his  country  even  more  notably  than  in 
the  war  itself. 

Returning  to  Westfield,  he  was  at  once  re-elected  to  the 
Board  of  Selectmen,  and  after  serving  in  this  capacity  for 
four  years  was  sent  to  the  lower  branch  of  the  Legislature. 

There  had  been  almost  unlimited  issues  of  paper  currency 
during  the  war,  with  the  resulting  inflation,  extravagance 
and  increasing  indebtedness  that  always  follow  such  financ- 

150 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

ing.  Foreign  commerce  had  been  destroyed,  local  indus- 
try was  demoralized,  the  state  was  heavily  in  debt  and 
taxes  were  very  high. 

These  were  the  conditions  that  brought  about  Shays' 
Rebellion.  Its  leaders  were  Luke  Day  of  West  Springfield 
and  Daniel  Shays  of  Pelham.  Bowdoin  was  governor. 
General  Shepard  had  been  made  major-general  of  militia 
on  his  return  from  Revolutionary  service. 

The  insurgents  had  reasonable  ground  for  complaint 
against  the  existing  laws  and  conditions,  and  a  very  large 
proportion  of  the  people  of  Massachusetts  were  in  sympathy 
with  them,  but  their  methods  were  everlastingly  wrong. 

When,  in  the  autumn  of  1786,  they  attempted  to  prevent 
the  convening  of  the  court  in  Springfield,  Shepard,  at  the 
head  of  a  small  body  of  militia,  by  persuasion  rather  than 
force  succeeded  in  dispersing  them.  But  a  few  months 
later,  in  January,  1787,  Shays,  having  gathered  a  force  far 
larger  than  the  militia  under  General  Shepard,  attempted 
to  capture  the  armory  at  Springfield.  This  time  persuasion 
proved  of  no  avail,  and  it  was  only  after  a  considerable 
number  of  the  insurgents  had  been  killed  and  wounded 
that  they  gave  up  the  attempt.  This  was  the  last  impor- 
tant conflict  of  the  rebellion.  Shepard  was  in  the  field  for 
several  months  and  there  was  minor  fighting  throughout 
the  state  but  Shepard's  action  had  determined  the  outcome. 

If  I  have  seemed  to  dwell  unduly  upon  this  episode  of 
General  Shepard's  career  it  is  because  I  believe  it  was  his 
most  important  service  to  his  state  and  his  country,  a 
service  with  which  his  name  will  always  be  associated  in 
the  annals  of  American  history.  Had  he  not  used  persua- 
sion and  tact  in  the  first  place  in  dealing  with  the  insurgents, 
though  advised  to  use  force  at  once  by  Bowdoin  and  Han- 
cock, he  would  have  secured  for  them  the  sympathy  of  the 
great  majority  of  people  through  the  state,  and  what  would 
have  been  the  outcome  we  do  not  know.  But  when  at 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

last  he  found  that  persuasion  was  useless,  when  they  had 
demonstrated  by  their  actions  their  unfitness  for  carrying 
out  the  measures  they  desired,  when  it  was  a  question 
between  anarchy  and  democracy,  then  Shepard  acted. 

You  will  remember  that  it  was  but  a  few  weeks  after 
this  that  the  Constitutional  convention  met,  and  it  may  not 
be  an  over-statement  to  say  that  but  for  this  occurrence 
the  drafting  and  enactment  of  the  constitution  might  have 
been  impossible,  for  it  demonstrated  beyond  question 
that  a  democracy  must  have  power  to  maintain  its  own 
sovereignty. 

Shepard  was  that  autumn  elected  to  the  State  Senate, 
and  the  Legislature  by  formal  resolution  approved  his 
action  and  honored  him. 

While  he  was  in  the  Senate  he  served  as  a  member  of  the 
Constitutional  convention  that,  after  a  long  and  bitter 
struggle,  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution,  and  it  is  of 
interest  to  remember  that  the  delegates  from  Westfield  and 
Springfield  were  among  the  few  men  from  western  Massa- 
chusetts who  voted  in  favor  of  adoption. 

The  following  year  it  was  his  privilege  to  be  one  of  the 
first  presidential  electors  from  Massachusetts,  a  position 
then  carrying  far  greater  responsibility  than  now,  and 
further,  giving  him  the  privilege  of  voting  for  his  old 
friend  and  associate  of  Revolutionary  days,  General  Wash- 
ington. This  honor  was  again  conferred  upon  him  four 
years  later. 

He  served  also  as  commissioner  to  the  Penobscot  Indians, 
settling  differences  so  amicably  on  this  mission  that  he  was 
shortly  afterwards  called  upon  to  act  in  a  similar  capacity 
with  the  Iroquois. 

After  four  years  of  service  in  the  Senate  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Governor's  Council,  serving  with  John 
Hancock  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  and  later  with  Samuel 
Adams,  his  successor. 

152 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

Hancock  and  Shepard  were  born  the  same  year.  Han- 
cock was  wealthy;  Shepard  was  poor.  Hancock  was  a 
Harvard  graduate;  Shepard  had  but  a  most  limited  educa- 
tion. And  yet  I  am  sure  that  Shepard's  shrewd  judgment 
and  common  sense  was  a  most  fortunate  influence  on  Han- 
cock's conceit. 

When  Samuel  Adams  became  governor  he  was  an  old 
man,  bigoted  but  brilliant,  and  he  too  needed  the  associa- 
tion of  a  man  like  Shepard. 

In  1796  Shepard  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Fifth 
Congress.  John  Adams  had  just  been  chosen  President, 
and  the  conflict  within  the  Federalist  party  had  already 
begun  that  brought  about  its  downfall. 

Shepard  was  re-elected  two  years  later,  and  saw  the 
Federal  capital  transferred  from  Philadelphia,  the  largest 
city  on  the  continent,  to  Washington,  a  straggling  village 
on  the  Potomac.  He  was  re-elected  to  the  Seventh  Con- 
gress, and  served  during  the  first  two  years  of  Jefferson's 
administration. 

His  congressional  record  is  interesting.  The  problems 
then  chiefly  before  Congress  were  our  diplomatic  relations 
with  France  and  England  and  the  issues  connected  with 
them. 

Shepard  was  not  an  orator,  but  he  was  a  ready  debater 
and  took  a  considerable  part  in  the  discussion  of  matters 
before  Congress.  He  was  strongly  in  favor  of  prepared- 
ness, though  he  opposed  extravagance  even  in  the  raising  of 
an  army.  He  supported  a  militia  in  comparison  with  a 
national  army,  on  the  ground  that  a  national  army  could 
only  be  raised  and  maintained  by  means  of  a  draft. 

While  he  was  a  Federalist,  at  the  same  time  he  voted 
independently  on  many  issues,  and  with  the  wave  that 
swept  the  Federalist  party  out  of  power  he  was  removed 
from  Congress,  and  the  last  fifteen  years  of  his  life  were 
spent  in  Westfield. 

153 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

He  was  a  man  in  limited  circumstances,  and  lived  quietly, 
but  found  time  for  many  activities  of  public  service.  He 
was  president  of  a  club  organized  to  found  a  library  in 
Westfield.  He  was  one  of  the  first  trustees  of  the  Westfield 
Academy,  chartered  while  he  was  in  the  Governor's  Coun- 
cil. He  repeatedly  served  as  moderator  of  the  local  town 
meetings.  He  died  a  few  days  before  his  eightieth  birthday, 
in  1817. 

He  was  not  a  theologian  or  a  philanthropist, — at  least  in 
the  ordinary  acceptance  of  the  term, — but  for  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  he  served  as  deacon  of  the  old  First 
Church,  respected  and  loved  by  his  fellow  townsmen. 

He  had  but  a  limited  education.  He  was  not  a  construct- 
ive statesman.  He  was  not  an  orator.  And  yet,  as  select- 
man, as  legislator,  as  counselor  to  Hancock  and  Adams, 
as  commissioner  to  the  Indians,  as  congressman,  as  personal 
friend  of  Washington,  his  judgment  was  clear  and  his  advice 
wise. 

He  was  not  a  great  or  brilliant  general.  Yet  in  two  wars 
he  carried  out  courageously  and  efficiently  all  work  that 
was  assigned  to  him.  And  when  his  great  opportunity 
came,  in  the  struggle  between  anarchy  and  democracy,  that 
threatened  to  undo  all  that  had  been  accomplished  in  the 
Revolutionary  struggle,  his  clear  thinking,  his  tact  and  his 
energy,  when  energy  became  necessary,  played  no  small 
part  in  securing  those  blessings  of  liberty  that  we  are  enjoy- 
ing today. 


154 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


Introducing  His  Excellency,  Governor  Calvin  Coolidge,  Mr.  Ely  said: 
Permit  me  to  announce  tJte  Governor  of  the  Commonwealth. 

ADDRESS 
His  EXCELLENCY  CALVIN  COOLIDGE 

Governor  of  Massachusetts 
Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

We  come  here  on  this  occasion  to  honor  the  past,  and  in 
that  honor  render  more  secure  the  present.  It  was  by 
such  men  as  settled  Westfield,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago  established  by  law  a  chartered  and  ordered  form 
of  government,  that  the  foundations  of  Massachusetts  were 
laid. 

And  it  was  on  the  foundations  of  Massachusetts  that 
there  began  that  training  of  the  people  for  the  great  days 
that  were  to  come,  when  they  were  prepared  to  endorse  and 
support  the  principles  set  out  in  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  of  America 
and  the  emancipation  proclamation  of  Abraham  Lincoln. 
Here  were  planted  the  same  seeds  of  righteousness  victori- 
ous which  later  flourished  with  such  abundance  at  Saratoga, 
at  Gettysburg  and  at  the  second  battle  of  the  Marne.  Stu- 
pendous results,  the  product  of  a  people  working  with  an 
Everlasting  Purpose. 

While  celebrating  the  history  of  Westfield  this  day  has 
been  set  apart  to  the  memory  of  one  of  her  most  illustrious 
sons,  General  William  Shepard.  To  others  are  assigned  the 
history  of  your  town  and  the  biography  of  your  soldier. 
Into  those  particulars  I  shall  not  enter.  But  the  principles 
of  government  and  of  citizenship  which  they  so  well  repre- 
sent and  nobly  illustrate  will  never  be  untimely  or  unworthy 
of  reiteration. 

The  political  history  of  Westfield  has  seen  the  success 
of  a  great  forward  movement,  to  which  it  contributed  its 

155 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

part  in  establishing  the  principles  that  the  individual  in  his 
rights  is  supreme,  and  that  "governments  derive  their  just 
powers  from  the  consent  of  the  governed." 

It  is  the  establishment  of  liberty  under  an  ordered  form 
of  government  in  this  ancient  town  by  the  people  themselves 
that  today  draws  us  here  in  admiration  of  her  achievements. 
When  we  turn  to  the  life  of  her  patriotic  son  we  see  that  he 
no  less  grandly  illustrated  the  principle  that  to  such  gov- 
ernment, so  established,  the  people  owe  an  allegiance  which 
has  the  binding  power  of  the  most  solemn  obligation. 

There  is  such  a  disposition  in  these  days  to  deny  that 
our  government  was  formed  by,  or  is  now  in  control  of  the 
people,  that  a  glance  at  the  history  of  the  days  of  General 
Shepard  is  peculiarly  pertinent  and  instructive. 

The  Constitution  of  Massachusetts,  with  its  noble  declara- 
tion of  rights,  was  adopted  in  1780.  Under  it  we  still  live, 
with  scarce  any  changes  that  affect  the  rights  of  the  people. 
The  end  of  the  Revolutionary  War  was  in  1783.  Shays' 
Rebellion  was  in  1787.  The  American  Constitution  was 
ratified  and  adopted  in  1788.  These  dates  tell  us  what  the 
form  of  government  was  that  existed  in  that  period. 

If  there  are  any  who  doubt  that  our  institutions,  formed 
in  those  days,  did  not  establish  a  people's  government,  let 
them  study  the  action  of  the  Massachusetts  convention 
which  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution  in  1788.  Presiding 
over  it  was  the  popular  patriot,  Governor  John  Hancock. 
On  the  floor  sat  Samuel  Adams,  who  had  been  the  father  of 
the  Revolution,  preeminent  champion  of  the  liberty  of  the 
people.  Such  an  influence  had  he  that  his  assertion  of 
satisfaction  was  enough  to  carry  the  delegates.  Like  a 
majority  of  the  members,  he  came  opposed  to  ratification. 
Having  totally  thrown  off  the  authority  of  foreign  powers, 
they  came  suspicious  of  all  outside  authority.  Besides,  there 
were  eighteen  of  their  number  who  had  taken  part  in  Shays' 
Rebellion,  so  hostile  were  they  to  the  execution  of  all  law. 

156 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

Mr.  Adams  was  finally  convinced  by  a  gathering  of  the 
workingmen  among  his  constituents,  who  exercised  their 
constitutional  right  of  instructing  their  representatives. 
Their  opinion  was  presented  to  him  by  Paul  Revere.  "How 
many  mechanics  were  at  the  Green  Dragon  when  these 
resolutions  were  passed?"  asked  Mr.  Adams.  "More,  sir, 
than  the  Green  Dragon  could  hold."  "And  where  were  the 
rest?"  "  In  the  streets,  sir."  "And  how  many  were  in  the 
streets?"  "More  than  there  are  stars  in  the  sky."  This 
is  supposed  to  have  convinced  the  great  Massachusetts 
tribune  that  it  was  his  duty  to  support  ratification. 

There  were  those,  however,  who  distrusted  the  Consti- 
tution and  distrusted  its  proponents.  They  viewed  law- 
yers and  men  of  means  with  great  jealousy.  Amos  Single- 
tary  expressed  their  sentiments  in  the  form  of  an  argument 
that  has  not  ceased  to  be  repeated  in  the  discussion  of  all 
public  questions. 

"These  lawyers,"  he  said,  "and  men  of  learning  and 
moneyed  men,  that  talk  so  finely  and  gloss  over  matters  so 
smoothly,  to  make  us  poor  illiterates  swallow  the  pill,  ex- 
pect to  get  into  Congress  themselves.  They  mean  to  be 
managers  of  the  Constitution.  They  mean  to  get  all  the 
money  into  their  hands,  and  then  they  will  swallow  up  us 
little  folk,  like  the  great  Leviathan,  Mr.  President;  yes,  just 
like  the  whale  swallowed  up  Jonah."  In  the  convention  sat 
Jonathan  Smith,  a  farmer  from  Lanesboro.  He  had  seen 
Shays'  Rebellion  in  the  Berkshires.  There  has  been  no 
better  example  of  a  man  of  the  people  desiring  the  common 
good. 

"  I  am  a  plain  man,"  said  Mr.  Smith,  "and  I  am  not  used 
to  speak  in  public,  but  I  am  going  to  show  the  effects  of 
anarchy,  that  you  may  see  why  I  wish  for  good  government. 
Last  winter  people  took  up  arms,  and  then,  if  you  went  to 
speak  to  them,  you  had  the  musket  of  death  presented 
to  your  breast.  They  would  rob  you  of  your  property, 

157 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

threaten  to  burn  your  houses,  oblige  you  to  be  on  your 
guard  night  and  day.  Alarms  spread  from  town  to  town, 
families  were  broken  up,  the  tender  mother  would  cry, 
' '  Oh ,  my  son  is  among  them !  What  shall  I  do  for  my  child  ?' ' 
Some  were  taken  captive;  children  taken  out  of  their 
schools  and  carried  away.  How  dreadful  was  all  this!  Our 
distress  was  so  great  that  we  should  have  been  glad  to 
snatch  at  anything  that  looked  like  a  government.  Now, 
Mr.  President,  when  I  saw  this  Constitution,  I  found  that 
it  was  a  cure  for  these  disorders.  I  got  a  copy  of  it,  and 
read  it  over  and  over.  I  did  not  go  to  any  lawyer  to  ask 
his  opinion.  We  have  no  lawyer  in  our  town,  and  we 
do  well  enough  without.  My  honorable  old  daddy  there 
(pointing  to  Mr.  Singletary)  won't  think  that  I  expect  to 
be  a  congressman,  and  swallow  up  the  liberties  of  the 
people.  I  never  had  any  post,  nor  do  I  want  one.  But  I 
don't  think  the  worse  of  the  Constitution  because  lawyers, 
and  men  of  learning,  and  moneyed  men  are  fond  of  it.  I 
am  not  of  such  a  jealous  make.  They  that  are  honest  men 
themselves  are  not  apt  to  be  suspicious  of  other  people. 
Brother  farmers,  let  us  suppose  a  case  now.  Suppose  you 
had  a  farm  of  fifty  acres,  and  your  title  was  disputed,  and 
there  was  a  farm  of  five  thousand  acres  joined  to  you  that 
belonged  to  a  man  of  learning,  and  his  title  was  involved 
in  the  same  difficulty;  would  you  not  be  glad  to  have  him 
for  your  friend,  rather  than  to  stand  alone  in  the  dispute? 
Well,  the  case  is  the  same.  These  lawyers,  these  moneyed 
men,  these  "men  of  learning  are  all  embarked  in  the  same 
cause  with  us,  and  we  must  all  sink  or  swim  together. 
Shall  we  throw  the  Constitution  overboard  because  it  does 
not  please  us  all  alike?  Suppose  two  or  three  of  you  had 
been  at  the  pains  to  break  up  a  piece  of  rough  land  and  sow 
it  with  wheat;  would  you  let  it  lie  waste  because  you  could 
not  agree  what  sort  of  a  fence  to  make?  Would  it  not  be 
better  to  put  up  a  fence  that  did  not  please  everyone's 

158 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

fancy,  rather  than  keep  disputing  about  it  until  the  wild 
beasts  came  in  and  devoured  the  crop?  Some  gentlemen 
say,  don't  be  in  a  hurry;  take  time  to  consider.  I  say, 
there  is  a  time  to  sow  and  a  time  to  reap.  We  sowed 
our  seed  when  we  sent  men  to  the  Federal  convention. 
Now  is  the  time  to  reap  the  fruit  of  our  labor.  And  if  we 
do  not  do  it  now  I  am  afraid  we  shall  never  have  another 
opportunity." 

There  spoke  the  common  sense  of  the  common  man  of 
the  commonwealth.  The  counsel  of  the  farmer  from  the 
country,  joined  with  the  resolutions  of  the  workingmen 
from  the  city,  carried  the  convention,  and  the  Constitution 
was  ratified.  In  the  light  of  succeeding  history  who  shall 
say  that  it  was  not  the  voice  of  the  people  speaking  with 
the  voice  of  Infinite  Authority? 

The  attitude  of  Samuel  Adams,  William  Shepard,  Jona- 
than Smith  and  the  workingmen  of  Boston  toward  govern- 
ment is  worthy  of  our  constant  emulation.  They  had  not 
hesitated  to  take  up  arms  against  tyranny  in  the  Revolu- 
tion, but  having  established  a  government  of  the  people 
they  were  equally  determined  to  defend  and  support  it. 
They  hated  the  usurper,  whether  king  or  parliament  or  mob, 
but  they  bowed  before  the  duly  constituted  authority  of 
the  people. 

When  the  question  of  pardoning  the  convicted  leaders 
of  the  rebellion  came  up  Adams  opposed  it.  "In  mon- 
archies," he  said,  "the  crime  of  treason  and  rebellion  may 
admit  of  being  pardoned  or  lightly  punished ;  but  the  man 
who  dares  to  rebel  against  the  laws  of  a  republic  ought  to 
suffer  death. " 

We  are  all  glad  mercy  prevailed  and  pardon  was  granted. 
But  the  calm  judgment  of  Samuel  Adams,  the  lover  of 
liberty,  "the  man  of  the  town  meeting, "  whose  clear  vision, 
taught  by  bitter  experience,  saw  that  all  usurpation  is 
tyranny,  must  not  go  unheeded  now.  The  authority  of  a 

159 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

just  government  derived  from  the  consent  of  the  governed 
has  back  of  it  a  power  that  does  not  fail. 

All  wars  bring  in  their  trail  great  hardships.  They  ex- 
isted in  the  day  of  General  Shepard.  They  exist  now. 
Having  set  up  a  sound  government  in  Massachusetts,  hav- 
ing secured  their  independence,  as  the  result  of  a  victorious 
war,  the  people  expected  a  season  of  easy  prosperity.  In 
that  they  were  temporarily  disappointed.  Some  rebelling 
were  overthrown.  The  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitu- 
tion brought  relief  and  prosperity.  Success  has  attended 
the  establishment  here  of  a  government  of  the  people. 

We  of  this  day  have  just  finished  a  victorious  war  that 
has  added  new  glory  to  American  arms.  We  are  facing 
some  hardships,  but  they  are  not  serious.  Private  obliga- 
tions are  not  so  large  as  to  be  burdensome.  Taxes  can  be 
paid.  Prosperity  abounds.  But  the  great  promise  of  the 
future  lies  in  the  loyalty  and  devotion  of  the  people  to 
their  own  government.  They  are  firm  in  the  conviction 
of  the  fathers,  that  liberty  is  increased  only  by  increasing 
the  determination  to  support  a  government  of  the  people, 
as  established  in  this  ancient  town  and  defended  by  its 
patriotic  son. 


1 60 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


Introducing  Former  Governor  Me  Call,  Mr.  Ely  said:  A  colored  man  was 
driving  a  mule,  hitched  to  a  heavily  loaded  wagon.  A  bystander  said  to  him, 
"Sam,  it  looks  like  that  mule  is  going  to  have  trouble."  Sam  replied,  "  That 
all  depends  on  the  mule.  If  he  tries  to  turn  around  in  the  shafts  he  certainly 
is  going  to  have  a  lot  of  it." 

The  American  people  are  drawing  a  big  load.  They  are  all  right  if  they 
don't  try  to  turn  around,  if  they  keep  going  right  along.  I  believe  there  are 
no  reactionaries  in  this  audience,  certainly  none  on  this  program.  Permit 
me  to  present  one  of  the  most  progressive  of  our  former  governors,  Samuel  W. 
McCatt. 

ADDRESS 

HON.  SAMUEL  W.  McCALL 

Former  Governor  of  Massachusetts 

The  celebration  of  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniver- 
sary of  a  Massachusetts  town  is  no  longer  a  very  rare  event, 
but  it  is  still  an  important  one.  It  serves  to  emphasize 
the  antiquity  of  a  form  of  government  which  has  been 
productive  of  very  much  good  and  has  been  responsible 
largely  for  the  prosperity  of  the  commonwealth  and  for  the 
popular  freedom  of  which  she  has  been  one  of  the  foremost 
exemplars.  It  marks  organized  government  in  that  funda- 
mental form  which  comes  near  to  the  people  and  in  the 
conduct  of  which  they  participate  directly  and  not  wholly 
through  agents.  As  institutions  go  in  America  Westfield  is 
an  ancient  town  with  its  origin  as  an  independent  commun- 
ity far  back  in  the  seventeenth  century  and  those  who  can 
claim  her  as  their  own  may  fairly  indulge  in  pride  at  her 
steady  and  prosperous  growth  in  all  those  things  that  tell 
for  the  real  prosperity  of  a  community.  Above  all,  they 
may  take  pride  in  that  fine  body  of  citizenship,  the  existence 
of  which  in  any  community  constitutes  its  first  title  to  our 
respect. 

The  admirable  accounts  written  by  Mr.  Kneil  and  Mr. 
Stiles  and  the  fine  address  by  Mr.  Bates  at  the  two  hun- 
dredth anniversary  have  rescued  from  oblivion  the  material 

11  161 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

facts  in  the  history  of  Westfield  and  have  placed  them  within 
the  reach  of  all.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  repeat  what  they 
have  so  well  said.  It  is  a  noble  and  inspiring  history,  full  of 
interest  to  one  who  reads  it,  and  typical  of  the  ancient  towns 
of  the  commonwealth  at  their  best.  I  shall  concern  myself 
today  with  the  general  teachings  of  this  history  and  with 
the  lessons  which  it  suggests  for  us  all. 

But  first  it  will  be  proper  to  take  note  of  an  event  which 
gives  to  this  occasion  something  of  a  dual  character. 

The  commemoration  of  this  anniversary  is  associated  with 
the  dedication  of  the  statue  of  Major  General  William  Shep- 
ard  who  was  born  here  and  lived  here  all  his  life  save  when 
war  or  other  public  errands  called  him  outside  the  limits  of 
the  town.  The  statue  is  a  fine  specimen  of  the  artist's 
work  and  will  not  only  be  an  ornament  to  the  public  square 
of  the  town  but  will  commemorate  a  distinguished  career 
and  preserve  the  example  of  it  for  future  generations.  The 
celebration  of  the  founding  of  the  town  may  very  well 
include  this  recognition  of  the  career  of  William  Shepard. 
Certainly  in  doing  that  undue  emphasis  is  not  given  to 
militarism.  It  is  not  at  all  the  career  of  a  professional 
soldier  to  which  you  pay  homage,  but  he  was  none  the  less  a 
genuine  soldier.  He  was  taught  the  rude  art  of  war  upon 
the  rough  battle  lines  of  his  time,  in  the  wilderness  filled  with 
Indians,  upon  the  cold  plains  of  Canada,  and  upon  many  a 
battlefield  in  our  own  country.  In  the  time  of  Shepard's 
early  life  and  west  of  the  Connecticut  River  it  was  fitting 
for  every  man  to  be  a  soldier.  England  and  France  had  for 
centuries  been  enemies  and  were  upon  the  point  of  going  to 
war  again.  The  French  were  masters  of  Canada  and  had 
acquired  great  ascendency  with  the  Indian  tribes.  They 
were  quite  ready  to  make  use  of  these  savage  allies.  It  re- 
quired little  instigation  from  the  French  to  induce  the  Indian 
to  contest  the  advance  of  the  Englishman  and  otherwise  to 
make  trouble  for  him.  When  the  new  settler  might  return 

162 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

to  his  home  in  the  evening  and  find  it  in  charred  ruins  and 
that  the  members  of  his  family  had  been  killed  or  carried  off 
into  captivity,  it  was  of  the  first  necessity  that  he  should 
be  a  soldier.  It  is  true  that  western  Massachusetts  had 
witnessed  little  of  the  hostility  of  the  red  man  after  King 
Philip's  war,  but  the  memory  of  the  bloody  scenes  of  that 
war  was  very  vivid  and  served  to  keep  the  white  man  awake 
against  a  repetition  of  the  horror.  Shepard  took  up  the 
inevitable  work  of  the  citizen  of  his  time  and  was  trained  for 
fighting.  He  began  as  a  private  soldier  and  was  in  more 
than  one  fierce  fight  where  his  side  was  not  successful.  His 
valor,  however,  gained  him  steady  promotion  and  he  did  his 
part  in  the  winning  of  Canada  for  England.  He  bore  an 
honorable  part  in  the  fighting  in  the  Province  of  Quebec 
which  had  so  much  to  do  with  banishing  the  power  of  France 
from  North  America. 

The  French  war  was  to  an  important  extent  a  Massa- 
chusetts war.  Her  people  detected  the  aggressive  purposes 
of  the  French  to  extend  their  empire  south  ward  from  Canada 
along  the  Atlantic  coast.  They  remonstrated  with  the 
British  government  and  it  was  due  in  a  considerable  meas- 
ure to  their  attitude  that  England  took  steps  to  defeat  the 
French  designs.  The  war  was  a  bloody  and  inhuman  war. 
There  were  Indians  upon  both  sides  although  the  Indians 
with  the  French  very  greatly  outnumbered  those  with  the 
British,  and  tomahawks  and  scalping  knives  were  employed 
by  the  enemy  with  far  too  little  restraint.  In  this  Seven 
Years  War,  arduous  not  merely  in  its  fighting  but  in  the 
appalling  hardships  which  the  men  were  called  upon  to  face, 
Shepard  performed  the  work  of  a  soldier  so  well  that  he  was 
steadily  advanced  and  reached  the  rank  of  captain.  At  the 
ending  of  the  war  he  returned  to  his  work  as  a  farmer,  but 
not  for  a  long  period,  because  the  spirit  of  rebellion  was 
growing  against  England.  There  has  probably  never  been 
a  people  more  sensitive  to  oppression  than  the  people  of 

163 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

Massachusetts  about  the  time  of  the  revolution.  Their 
example  was  infectious  and  soon  inspired  the  entire  Atlantic 
seaboard.  One  wonders  whether  any  English  government 
could  have  been  so  good  as  to  keep  the  colonists  long  in 
willing  submission.  It  was  as  much  the  ambition  for 
independence  as  the  spirit  of  rebellion.  The  spirit  of  liberty 
was  in  the  air  and  permeated  all  ranks  of  society.  The  boys 
were  as  rebellious  as  the  men.  There  were  plenty  of  orators 
in  the  country,  some  of  them  great  ones,  and  they  were  not 
idle.  The  temper  of  those  times  would  not  tolerate  even  a 
light  grievance,  and  the  direct  imposition  of  taxes  by  a 
parliament  in  which  the  colonies  were  without  representa- 
tion was  a  most  serious  grievance.  The  only  way  in  which 
such  taxes  could  be  collected  was  by  superior  force.  War 
became  inevitable. 

Captain  Shepard  had  come  to  be  the  foremost  citizen  of 
Westfield.  He  was  its  member  upon  the  Committee  of 
Correspondence  and  Safety,  the  councils  of  which  nurtured 
the  incipient  rebellion  and  gave  it  great  driving  force.  He 
had  fought  under  the  flag  of  Britain  in  the  Seven  Years 
War.  But  he  was  wholly  with  Massachusetts.  He  was  a 
man  of  deeds  and  not  of  words.  His  countrymen  heard 
little  of  what  he  said — they  saw  much  of  what  he  did. 
When  the  news  came  of  the  fighting  at  Concord  and  Lexing- 
ton he  straightway  went  out  from  Westfield  in  command  of 
its  minute-men  and  started  for  Bunker  Hill  and  Boston. 
From  that  time  he  was  again  very  steadily  in  the  fighting. 
He  was  in  camp  with  Washington  when  Boston  was  evacu- 
ated. He  followed  his  leader  to  New  York  and  was  put  in 
command  of  the  rear  guard  in  the  celebrated  retreat  there 
which  was  one  of  the  most  masterly  of  Washington's 
manoeuvres.  That  the  army  was  rescued  with  such  slight 
loss  from  a  most  perilous  situation  was  due  very  much  to  the 
heroism  of  the  small  rear  guard  which  under  the  command  of 
Shepard  held  back  the  British  until  the  main  body  had 

164 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

reached  a  safe  position.  He  was  at  the  battle  of  Saratoga; 
was  with  Washington  in  the  gloomy  winter  at  Valley 
Forge;  fought  in  the  battles  of  Trenton,  Princeton,  and 
Monmouth;  was  again  under  Lafayette,  and  bore  his  part 
in  the  final  great  victory  at  Yorktown.  There  were  few, 
if  any,  men  of  his  time  who  saw  more  real  fighting  and  none 
who  bore  himself  with  steadier  valor.  When  the  fighting 
had  been  ended  and  our  independence  won  he  returned  to 
his  farm  in  this  town.  Once  again  he  was  called  upon  for 
military  service.  Just  as  some  of  the  earliest  settlers  in 
the  country  would  no  sooner  get  their  settlements  well 
established  than  they  would  move  on  and  found  new  settle- 
ments ;  so  the  rebellion  against  England  had  no  sooner  been 
consummated  and  brought  to  a  successful  end,  than  some 
of  the  colonists  at  once  proceeded  to  rebel  against  the  gov- 
ernment they  had  helped  set  up,  and  there  occurred  what 
is  known  as  Shays'  Rebellion.  Governor  Bowdoin  put 
Shepard  in  charge  of  the  forces  that  dealt  with  that  rebel- 
lion and  he  bore  himself  with  courage  and  sanity  in  that 
imitation  of  a  civil  war,  winning  more,  indeed,  by  his  good 
sense  and  firmness  than  by  fighting.  After  the  outbreak 
had  been  quelled  he  again  returned  to  his  plough. 

The  excellent  accounts  that  have  been  written  by  your 
fellow  townsmen  outline  with  definiteness  and  in  graphic 
fashion  the  fine  record  of  William  Shepard  in  war.  He 
never  became  what  would  be  called  a  great  general  but 
that  was  not  because  he  was  lacking  in  the  quality  that 
would  make  him  one.  Although  there  was  much  fighting, 
its  character  was  not  such  as  made  it  likely  to  produce 
great  generals.  It  was  too  desultory  and  depended  less 
upon  the  military  discipline  of  the  men  than  upon  their 
individual  bravery  and  their  fortitude  to  endure  privation 
and  hardship.  Indeed,  after  Washington,  it  is  probably 
true  that  our  revolutionary  period  did  not  produce  a  really 
great  general,  although  evidence  of  military  genius  was 

165 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

shown  by  more  than  one  and  there  was  plenty  of  the  stuff 
out  of  which  great  generals  are  made.  If  the  title  belonged 
to  any  other  than  Washington  it  belonged  to  Greene  whose 
masterly  retreat,  by  which  he  saved  his  Army  from  destruc- 
tion, must  take  rank  as  a  very  brilliant  military  achieve- 
ment. What  Greene  learned  of  war  he  learned  while 
holding  important  military  command.  With  little  or  no 
military  training  he  was  made  a  major  general  by  Rhode 
Island  at  the  outbreak  of  the  war. 

Shepard  did  his  full  duty  as  a  citizen  in  peace  as  well  as 
in  war.  He  served  as  an  officer  of  the  town,  as  a  member 
of  the  Governor's  Council  and  of  both  Houses  of  the  General 
Court,  and  as  a  member  of  Congress.  There  was  nothing 
spectacular  about  him  but  he  was  great  in  simplicity  and 
in  those  qualities  which  most  distinguish  the  good  citizen; 
and  he  achieved  a  rounded  and  noble  career  which  you  do 
well  to  emphasize  today.  And  so,  when  you  dedicate  this 
statue,  you  provide  for  carrying  down  to  future  generations 
the  figure  of  a  man  who  did  the  town,  the  commonwealth, 
and  the  nation  great  service  in  war,  and  who,  as  a  citizen  of 
Westfield,  performed  his  duty  in  peace  in  a  way  that  de- 
serves permanent  recognition.  He  may  well  find  imitators 
far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  town. 

The  history  of  Westfield  is  typical  of  that  of  the  older 
towns  of  the  commonwealth.  It  was  first  a  part  of  a  larger 
unit  and  was  included  under  the  beneficent  rule  of  Spring- 
field. The  parent  town  was  most  willing  to  grant  the  right 
of  self-government  to  your  ancestors  whenever  they  desired 
it.  It  has  been  a  tradition  which  survives  in  Springfield 
today  among  its  people  and  in  its  organs  of  public  opinion, 
that  right  of  self-government  in  communities.  But  the 
government  of  the  new  town  was  set  up  under  much  dif- 
ficulty. It  had  hardly  been  incorporated  before  the  war 
of  King  Philip  broke  upon  the  western  counties.  It  was  a 
most  relentless  war.  The  town  happily  escaped  the  fate 

1 66 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

of  the  parent  town  which  was  burned.  Every  conceivable 
kind  of  fiendishness  and  brutality  known  to  the  red  man, 
who  in  those  times  was  untutored  in  everything  except 
fiendishness  and  brutality,  was  practised  in  that  war.  It 
was  indeed  fortunate  that  they  were  not  versed  in  some  of 
the  barbaric  arts  that  have  shown  themselves  in  warfare  in 
the  last  half  dozen  years.  Westfield  escaped  the  full  fury 
of  the  war  that  fell  upon  Northampton  and  upon  her  other 
neighbors  to  the  north.  Very  likely,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
stubborn  resistence  of  the  men  of  Northampton  and  of 
Turner's  Falls,  helped  by  the  men  of  Westfield,  the  town 
would  have  been  temporarily  wiped  out  of  existence. 
Westfield  sought  safety  in  a  wooden  wall,  a  device  that  was 
much  used  in  those  days  and  a  portion  of  it  was  surrounded 
by  palisades  which  gave  it  a  precarious  protection,  and 
which  fortunately  was  not  put  to  a  severe  test.  The  end  of 
King  Philip's  war  marked  the  ending  of  any  special  danger 
to  Westfield  from  the  Indian.  His  spirit  was  for  the  time 
effectually  broken  and  with  the  steady  growth  of  the  coun- 
try he  gradually  moved  farther  westward  and  kept  upon  the 
borders  of  civilization. 

The  chief  problem  of  the  town  then  became  one  not  of 
defence  but  of  establishing  itself  as  a  community  and 
developing  the  organs  for  the  expression  of  a  civil  life. 
The  roads  of  that  period  were  marked  out  along  Indian 
trails,  some  of  which  apparently  are  followed  by  the  present 
highways.  The  wagon  roads  were  practically  the  only 
means  of  local  communication  for  the  river  was  of  little 
value  as  a  highway  and  water  communication  was  obtained 
only  after  carrying  goods  over  the  hard  roads  that  led  to 
the  Connecticut.  The  chief  reliance  of  the  people  for  the 
carriage  of  freight  was  probably  upon  oxen,  and  it  is  a 
striking  circumstance  that  the  distance  an  ox  team  would 
haul  its  load  in  a  day  at  that  time  was  not  very  much  less 
than  the  average  distance  traversed  by  freight  trains  upon 

167 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

some  of  the  great  railroad  systems  of  the  United  States 
today.  Westfield  soon  came  to  have  a  good  position  for 
trade.  It  was  upon  the  road  between  the  valley  towns 
and  Albany  and  also  upon  the  chief  road  between  the  towns 
to  the  north  and  to  the  south.  Prosperity  came  with  the 
destruction  of  the  forests  and  the  transformation  of  the 
wilderness  into  fertile  farms. 

The  first  dwellings  were  primitive  affairs.  The  greater 
number  of  them  were  made  of  logs,  and,  as  nearly  every- 
body lived  in  a  log  house,  it  did  not  at  that  time  form  the 
basis  for  a  political  caste.  It  was  reserved  for  a  later 
period  when  the  log  cabin  had  almost  disappeared  from  our 
civilization  that  to  have  been  born  in  one  conferred  a 
political  distinction  and,  indeed,  in  some  instances,  formed 
the  chief  argument  for  the  elevation  of  candidates  to  the 
presidency.  With  the  coming  in  of  that  pioneer  of  civil- 
ization, the  sawmill,  the  log  house  gave  way  to  the  more 
modern  structure  built  of  sawed  lumber.  It  was  a  house 
filled  with  health  and  comfort.  Some  of  the  houses  were 
good  examples  of  the  old  colonial  style  of  architecture,  of 
which  some  fine  specimens  still  remain  near  the  seaboard 
and  invite  favorable  comparison  with  the  more  pretentious 
modern  dwelling.  In  those  days,  the  house  was  not  merely 
a  place  for  social  uses  and  to  eat  and  sleep  in,  but  it  was 
very  emphatically  a  manufacturing  establishment.  Beer 
and  soap  were  manufactured,  cloth  was  spun  and  dyed, 
and  made  into  clothing,  and  much  of  the  repair  work  for 
the  outdoors  was  carried  on  in  the  house.  There  was  little 
time  for  idleness.  The  household  work  had  none  of  the 
strain  of  the  present  day  factory  where  fast-flying  machin- 
ery chases  the  operative  and  keeps  him  on  a  perpetual 
tension. 

The  ancient  furniture  with  its  simple  forms  was  in  good 
taste  but  what  we  call  civilization  came  forward  so  rapidly 
that  good  taste  could  not  keep  up  with  it.  The  evolution 

1 68 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

may  be  traced  in  the  various  splurgy  and  pretentious  forms 
of  furniture,  reaching  its  climax  in  the  haircloth  variety 
which  was  an  offence  alike  to  good  taste  and  comfort. 
Much  more  than  furniture  was  homemade.  The  food  was 
not  hauled  over  great  distances  before  it  reached  the  table. 
The  fare  would  be  very  tempting  and  certainly  very  whole- 
some today,  with  the  liberal  supply  of  game  and  fish  and  the 
meats  that  were  preserved  by  the  natural  cold  through  the 
long  winter.  Tea  and  coffee  were  in  far  less  common  use 
than  now,  but  a  substitute  was  found,  for  Nature  would 
have  her  innocent  way  upon  the  juice  of  the  apple  and 
produced  a  beverage  much  of  which  would  be  under  the  ban 
today  on  account  of  the  prohibitory  law.  The  great  social 
center  was  the  meeting-house,  and  it  held  a  place  in  the 
community  which  made  it  practically  the  chief  governing 
institution.  The  training  of  the  local  militia  afforded  a 
stirring  spectacle,  and  the  militia  colonels,  in  uniforms 
splendid  with  gold  lace,  filled  the  spectators  with  awe  and 
admiration. 

To  sum  up  in  brief  compass,  the  citizen  of  the  Westfield 
of  one  hundred  years  or  more  ago  led  the  simple  life  and  was 
none  the  worse  for  it.  He  governed  himself  by  the  sun  and 
not  by  the  clock.  He  was  not  one  of  those  fortunate 
creatures  who  retire  early  and  sleep  late,  but  he  saved  all  the 
daylight  there  was.  He  got  his  news  of  the  outside  world 
from  the  meager  weekly  newspaper  and  the  happenings  in 
the  town  from  the  neighbors.  The  general  cares  of  man- 
kind troubled  him  but  little.  There  was  usually  nothing 
to  get  disturbed  about  more  exciting  than  a  dry  debate  in 
Congress.  He  went  regularly  to  church  and  prayer  meeting 
and  knew  every  item  of  expense  that  he  was  voting  for  at 
the  town  meetings.  He  was  happy  or  miserable  according 
to  his  temperament  and  if  he  could  survive  the  accidents  or 
the  heroic  remedies  of  that  period  he  was  apt  to  live  to  a 
great  age.  His  was  an  ordered  life  and  the  world  seemed  to 

169 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

roll  easily  in  its  orbit.  If  one  wishes  a  contrast  he  has  only 
to  turn  his  eyes  to  our  own  time.  Each  morning  with 
scarcely  a  look  about  us,  even  at  the  hills  from  whence 
cometh  our  strength,  we  survey  the  more  or  less  remote 
parts  of  the  globe.  A  distant  monarchy  has  collapsed  over 
night  and  is  followed  by  a  republic  that  will  disappear  be- 
fore tomorrow's  sunset.  The  air  is  filled  with  strident 
voices  preaching  a  new  style  of  government  discovered  since 
yesterday.  We  now  and  then  return  to  the  simple  life 
when  the  latest  railroad  strike  compels  us  to  walk.  What 
with  the  world  turned  turtle  and  the  sons  of  chaos  disporting 
themselves  over  great  spaces  of  the  earth,  with  liberty  a 
memory,  and  everywhere  industrial  strife,  class  warfare, 
instability,  and  unrest,  it  is  only  to  the  penetrating  eye  of 
faith  that  it  seems  clear  whether  we  inhabit  a  world  made 
safe  for  democracy  or  for  the  devil. 

But  there  is  an  aspect  of  this  occasion  which  cannot  be 
overlooked  at  a  time  like  this  and  that  is  the  place  of  the 
town  in  the  general  structure  of  our  government.  It  lies 
at  the  foundation  of  our  system  and  is  the  basic  form  of 
organized  government  that  first  comes  in  contact  with  the 
individual.  The  gradation  is  made  easy  from  the  individual 
who  is  the  unit  in  our  government  up  through  the  town  and 
the  state  to  the  nation.  It  may  well  be  likened  to  the  pyra- 
mid resting  upon  its  broad  base  and  receding  and  springing 
upward  to  the  summit  which  is  a  mere  point  securely  sup- 
ported by  the  mass  beneath  and  resting  lightly  upon  it. 
There  is  another  kind  of  government  which  has  been  very 
much  in  evidence  in  the  world.  It  was  the  kind  given  by  the 
Hohenzollern  kings,  by  the  French  kings  before  the  revolu- 
tion and  such  as  the  Stuarts  tried  in  vain  to  establish  in 
England.  Instead  of  government  springing  from  a  broad 
base  and  pressing  more  lightly  as  it  receded  from  the  people, 
the  whole  mass  of  governmental  powers  was  placed  at  the 
top  and  overhung  and  pressed  heavily  upon  what  was  be- 

170 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

neath  them.  Under  such  a  system  all  power  came  from 
above  and  was  wielded  by  the  king  or  by  his  agents.  There 
was  no  such  thing  as  liberty  and  the  privilege  to  do  things 
came  as  an  act  of  grace  from  the  sovereign.  The  American 
system  is  the  reverse  of  that.  Power  comes  from  below 
instead  of  from  above — from  the  people  instead  of  from  a 
king.  It  is  the  aim  of  our  system  to  have  self-government. 
The  people  themselves  do  the  things  directly  that  come  in 
contact  with  them.  The  things  that  are  out  of  convenient 
reach  they  do  through  agents  chosen  by  themselves. 

Due  homage  is  paid  to  these  different  forms  of  govern- 
ment to  which  power  is  apportioned.  The  people  are 
deeply  attached  to  the  states.  Indeed,  they  were  too  much 
attached  to  them  until  war  settled  and  perfected  our  struc- 
ture. They  are  patriotic  to  the  nation.  Their  affection  for 
the  towns  and  cities  in  which  they  live  is  shown  by  lavish 
munificence  and  in  a  thousand  ways.  The  system  is  ideal 
for  self-government  although  it  must  be  admitted  that  it  is 
not  always  ideally  applied.  The  greater  government  is  apt 
to  encroach  upon  the  lesser  with  the  result  that  there  is  a 
dislocation  of  power.  And  to  just  the  extent  to  which  that 
occurs  the  real  participation  of  the  people  in  their  govern- 
ment will  be  lessened.  Its  operations  will  be  distant  and 
they  will  be  spectators  rather  than  actors.  With  the  great 
mass  of  governmental  power  centralized  at  Washington 
there  will  be  such  an  enormous  detail  of  jurisdiction  that  no 
one  set  of  governmental  agents  will  be  able  to  cope  with  it 
and  there  will  be  government  by  bureaus  which  is  sure  to  be 
rigid  and  autocratic,  if  it  does  not  become  corrupt.  With  a 
system  like  that  applying  to  a  continent  and  to  more  than 
one  hundred  millions  of  people,  self-government  will  be- 
come a  myth,  and  its  work  will  be  tainted  with  injustice. 
One  section  of  the  union  will  so  levy  taxes  that  they  will  fall 
with  especial  might  upon  another  section  and  public  money 
will  be  expended  in  the  same  partial  way.  There  are  op- 

171 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

portunities  of  partiality  enough  under  the  present  state  of 
the  development  of  our  system  without  broadening  the  area 
of  injustice  by  still  further  dislocating  the  partition  of 
powers.  To  maintain  so  far  as  we  are  able  the  traditional 
distribution  is  necessary  for  real  efficiency  and  is  surely 
necessary  to  liberty.  Let  the  central  government  take  care 
for  the  common  defence,  regulate  commerce  between  the 
states  and  deal  with  the  subjects  of  general  and  common 
concern  and  let  the  municipal  and  state  governments  exer- 
cise the  great  range  of  powers  that  have  long  been  theirs 
unchallenged.  We  shall  thus  have  better  government. 
More  than  that  we  shall  have  better  citizens  because  there  is 
no  greater  educating  force  than  the  practical  participation 
of  men  in  directing  the  affairs  of  their  own  government. 
It  develops  character  and  it  gives  a  public-mindedness  that 
can  be  gained  in  no  other  way. 

Thus  in  celebrating  the  two  hundred  and  fiftieth  birth 
year  of  this  town  we  may  well  pause  to  do  reverence  to  the 
basic  form  of  our  three  kinds  of  government.  Of  that  form 
Westfield  is  a  happy  illustration.  Here  life  has  been  safe 
and  property  secure.  Prosperity  has  been  diffused  and 
has  shown  itself  in  every  walk  of  life.  Those  two  beneficent 
institutions,  the  school  and  the  church,  have  been  at  the 
summit  of  her  social  order.  And  looking  forward,  if  she 
may  see  spread  out  before  her  a  future  that  shall  be  of  the 
texture  of  her  past,  fortunate  indeed  will  be  the  people  who 
shall  be  gathered  within  her  gates. 

I  have  considered  generally  the  place  of  the  town  in  the 
government  of  the  country,  and  for  our  country  surely  we 
have  provided  for  us  sufficient  government  with  the  differ- 
end  kinds  overlapping  each  other.  But  there  still  remains 
a  vast  and  momentous  space  unfilled  in  a  comprehensive 
scheme  for  the  government  of  the  world.  There  is  no 
earthly  force  above  the  nations  but  humanity,  and  human- 
ity, unfortunately,  as  now  organized,  makes  only  a  moral 

172 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

appeal  which  too  often  falls  upon  deaf  ears.  At  the  top  of 
our  system  we  have  the  sovereign  nations  which  for  practi- 
cal purposes  may  be  counted  as  less  than  ten  and  we  find 
them  dividing  and  disputing  among  themselves  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  world  and  without  a  common  arbiter  often 
clashing  with  each  other.  This  disputing  between  nations 
over  the  right  to  govern  is  responsible  for  very  much  of  the 
misery  of  mankind.  Obviously  a  very  great  thing  yet 
remains  to  be  done  before  the  world  can  be  said  to  be 
properly  organized  for  government.  I  do  not  mean  by 
this  that  the  time  has  come  for  a  government  by  a  parlia- 
ment of  man  and  a  federation  of  the  world.  The  world, 
even  with  its  proportions  shrunken  as  now  by  inventions, 
is  altogether  too  vast  to  be  comprehended  in  a  single  com- 
munity of  thought.  The  establishment  of  a  world  state 
to  regulate  with  a  single  code  of  laws  the  thousand  different 
sets  of  interests  and  the  vast  diversity  of  peoples  will 
be  a  most  ambitious  project  for  very  many  years  to 
come,  if  indeed  the  time  shall  ever  come  for  it.  Such 
a  thing  today  would  wholly  destroy  self-government  and 
obliterate  the  last  trace  of  individual  freedom.  Just  as 
we  see  the  national  government  devouring  the  states  and 
the  states  the  lesser  authorities,  so  the  nations  would  be 
eaten  up  by  the  central  monster  and  would  disappear 
except  in  name. 

Human  nature  is  a  pretty  constant  factor  and  is  little 
likely  to  change,  but  until  it  shall  change  very  greatly  this 
union  of  the  world  into  a  single  state  would  better  remain 
a  dream.  What  refuge  such  as  America  has  always  been 
would  there  be  to  which  the  oppressed  might  fly? 

Among  the  terrors  which  Gibbon  painted  of  the  world- 
wide tyranny  of  ancient  Rome  was  the  lack  of  a  place  of 
escape  for  those  who  were  oppressed.  He  declared  that 
the  creation  of  a  number  of  independent  states  was  pro- 
ductive of  the  most  beneficent  consequences  to  the  liberty 

173 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

of  mankind.     One  who  was  oppressed  by  one  state  could 
secure  a  refuge  in  a  happier  clime. 

"But  the  empire  of  the  Romans,"  said  Gibbon,  "filled  the  world;  and 
when  that  empire  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  single  person  the  world  became 
a  safe  and  dreary  prison  for  his  enemies.  To  resist  was  fatal  and  it  was 
impossible  to  fly." 

We  need  embark  upon  no  such  mythical  project  as  laying 
the  foundations  of  a  world  state  in  order  to  join  with  other 
nations  in  underwriting  the  peace  of  the  world.  They 
may  still  live  their  individual  lives  but  they  must  permit 
other  nations  to  live  theirs.  The  nations  may  have  their 
own  internal  development,  may  perfect  their  own  civiliza- 
tion, may  even  have  their  own  peaceful  expansion.  We 
can  establish  a  high  court  of  nations;  we  can  provide  at 
once  for  doing  away  with  those  armaments  which  are 
crushing  the  life  out  of  nations ;  we  can  agree  with  all  other 
nations  to  submit  our  differences  to  arbitration;  we  can 
have  a  council  of  conciliation.  But  we  can  dispense  with 
some  of  the  trappings  under  which  this  council  may  strut 
with  the  airs  of  a  world  state  and  may  develop  into  an 
arena  for  playing  the  high  politics  of  the  world. 

A  union  of  the  nations  against  war  will  be  confronted  with 
difficulties  enough  without  the  sacrifice  of  a  single  attribute 
of  any  one  of  them  which  has  shown  itself  a  force  for  peace. 
The  particular  isolation  of  America  and  its  aloofness  have 
proven  of  the  greatest  value  to  mankind.  We  have  more 
than  once  been  told  that  the  time  of  our  isolation  had 
passed  and  that  we  should  be  corded  and  bound  up  with  the 
rest  of  mankind  with  one  set  of  primary  ambitions,  pas- 
sions, and  interests.  Our  isolation  has  been  scornfully 
compared  with  that  of  China.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
point  out  the  sophistry  of  such  a  comparison.  We  can  no 
more  compare  the  isolation  of  America  with  that  of  China 
than  we  can  compare  the  two  nations  with  each  other. 

174 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

The  one  is  the  most  progressive  and  the  other  the  most 
static  nation  in  the  world.  It  is  beyond  the  power  of  the 
imagination  to  picture  China  playing  the  part  America 
has  played  in  the  last  two  years.  It  is  true  we  were  unpre- 
pared in  a  military  sense.  We  had  set  the  world  an  exam- 
ple in  disarmament  which  if  it  had  been  followed  by  the 
other  nations  would  have  averted  the  catastrophe  that 
almost  engulfed  them  all.  But  that  we  were  able  to  arm 
on  a  very  great  scale  and  successfully  pursue  the  arts  of 
war  we  demonstrated  beyond  all  doubt  and  our  isolation 
backed  by  our  power  imparted  to  our  intervention  the 
decisive  quality  of  a  final  arbiter.  If  we  shall  throw  away 
our  isolation  and  become  an  everyday  European  power 
with  primary  interests  and  points  of  view,  time  will  bring 
about  a  new  set  of  alliances  and  division  of  nations  and  in 
the  event  of  another  colossal  war  there  will  be  no  great 
power  in  reserve  to  save  the  world.  When  our  nation  was 
established  there  was  an  ideal  opportunity  for  the  develop- 
ment on  this  continent  of  a  new  group  of  political  ideas  and 
interests,  but  little  vexed  by  the  political  divisions  of  the 
other  hemisphere.  To  be  wholly  isolated  was  impossible 
but  we  were  measurably  so  and  we  grew  to  be  a  powerful 
nation  and  the  center  of  a  new  world.  Having  just  now 
demonstrated  the  immense  advantage  of  this  dual  struc- 
ture of  the  world,  what  a  demented  act  it  would  be  to 
abandon  it.  It  would  be  to  throw  away  one  of  the  fairest 
gifts  Providence  has  ever  given  to  man.  If  America  enters 
a  League  of  Nations  let  her  enter  it  erect  and  not  an  evis- 
cerated America  with  some  of  her  most  distinctive  attri- 
butes gone.  Let  her  not  put  her  Monroe  Doctrine  in  the 
keeping  of  any  council  but  hold  fast  to  it  as  the  central 
fact  in  her  foreign  policy.  Let  it  remain  what  it  was 
originally  intended  to  be,  a  buttress  against  the  extension 
of  monarchical  institutions  upon  this  hemisphere.  Amer- 
ica will  be  of  far  greater  value  to  any  League  of  Nations  if 

175 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

she  shall  enter  it  shorn  of  none  of  these  powers  that  have 
made  her  what  she  is. 

That  the  time  is  ripe  for  a  high  court  of  nations  to  adju- 
dicate their  controversies  with  each  other  there  can  be  no 
doubt.  For  many  centuries  the  rivalries  of  nations  have 
levied  a  frightful  toll  upon  the  youth  of  the  world.  Boys 
have  been  torn  from  their  mothers  and  uncounted  millions 
of  them  have  been  set  to  slaughtering  each  other.  North- 
ern Europe  has  once  again  been  made  a  vast  graveyard. 
If  we  cannot  be  moved  by  the  appeal  that  comes  from  the 
millions  who  have  fallen,  from  the  crushing  debts  that  have 
been  piled  up  like  mountains,  from  the  revolutions  that  are 
stalking  the  earth,  then  we  can  be  moved  by  nothing.  If 
we  shall  heed  that  appeal  and  give  it  a  safe  and  sufficient 
answer,  we  shall  write  as  the  future  policy  of  nations  in  the 
simplest  terms  in  which  they  can  be  written  DISARMAMENT 
and  ARBITRATION. 


176 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


Mr.  Ely  said:  As  you  know,  this  day  was  set  apart  for  two  purposes,  one 
to  unveil  the  statue  of  General  Shepard,  the  other  to  welcome  home  the  service 
men.  It  is  not  for  me,  certainly,  at  this  late  hour  to  say  more  than  a  word 
to  the  service  men.  Looking  over  the  Honor  Roll  on  the  Green,  I  find  many 
names  that  I  cannot  pronounce.  In  fact,  I  think  a  majority  of  the  names  are 
foreign  to  this  Yankee  town.  But  every  Yankee  loves  every  one  of  those  men, 
and  all  I  am  going  to  say  in  behalf  of  the  Town  of  Westfield  is,  that  we  do  love 
every  one  of  you  service  men,  and  take  the  greatest  pride  and  satisfaction  in 
•welcoming  you  home,  and  the  greatest  interest  in  your  future. 

Introducing  Major-General  Edwards,  Mr.  Ely  said:  When  I  saw  the 
parade  this  afternoon  of  the  service  men  and  the  women  in  white  with  the  cross 
of  red — all  honor  to  them! — I  felt  a  good  deal  like  the  little  boy  walking  down  the 
street  behind  another  boy  marching  with  his  brother  just  returned  from  the  war. 
The  little  boy  behind  crept  up  to  the  soldier,  just  touched  him,  then  ran  to  his 
mother.  With  his  eyes  dilated,  full  of  pride,  his  face  all  aglow,  trembling  all 
over  with  excitement,  he  said,  "  Mother,  I  have  touched  a  soldier."  With  such 
feelings  I  present  a  soldier,  a  general,  a  major-general  of  the  United  States 
Army,  General  Clarence  R.  Edwards. 

ADDRESS 
MAJOR-GENERAL  CLARENCE  R.  EDWARDS,  U.S.A. 

Mr.  Chairman,  Ladies  and  Gentleman  of  Westfield  and  Fellow 
Yanks: 

The  other  day  I  visited  a  shell-shock  hospital,  and  I  saw 
a  fine  lad,  one  of  my  men,  walking  along  in  a  happy,  debo- 
nair way,  and  he  had  a  wheelbarrow  upside  down.  Says  I, 
"Hold  on,  my  lad!  That  is  wrong.  Turn  it  up."  He 
said,  "Not  on  your  life,  sir!  I  did  it  that  way  yesterday 
and  they  filled  it  full  of  bricks." 

So  the  happiest  announcement  that  I  can  make  to  you  at 
this  time  is  to  say  to  you  that  I  will  keep  the  wheelbarrow 
upside  down,  and  let  you  out  soon,  especially  as  it  is  going 
to  be  my  great  opportunity  to  talk  again  to  these  lads 
tonight.  But  there  are  one  or  two  thoughts. 

I  don't  know  which  end  I  am  on,  the  unveiling  of  this 
monument  or  the  welcoming  home  of  these  lads.  My  tradi- 

12  177 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

tion  has  been  such  that  it  is  a  renewal  of  my  youth  to  stand 
here  and  get  these  wonderful  hypodermic  doses  of  New  Eng- 
land and  this  brilliant  oratory,  and  the  only  new  thing  in  it 
that  I  have  seen  is  the  expertness  with  the  apple  in  former 
days.  And  when  we  talk  about  getting  our  just  powers 
from  the  governed,  I  think  it  is  the  one  hope  that  the  soldier 
has,  for  those  things  that  you  did  to  him  in  our  absence  in 
France,  to  rely  on  your  expertness  with  the  apple  this  next 
winter.  As  far  as  I  can  learn,  it  is  the  only  thing  that  our 
attorney-general  says  is  not  vinous,  and  therefore  within 
the  law. 

Coming  from  Springfield  today,  driving  up  here,  my 
earliest  recollection  was  of  my  father  telling  me  how  he 
refused  to  smoke,  so  that  he  could  buy  a  horse  and  drive 
about,  and  how  often  he  used  to  drive,  as  a  lad,  to  West- 
field.  Naturally.  It  is  the  home  of  my  people.  And  I 
take  pride  in  the  wonderful  record  of  Major-General  Oliver 
Edwards. 

My  earliest  recollection  as  a  child,  at  a  large  dinner  given 
by  my  mother,  was  the  wonderful  tribute  that  Sheridan 
paid  to  him  for  his  capture  of  Winchester,  being  in  com- 
mand. I  think  that  tribute  made  me  take  the  veil  of 
poverty  and  go  into  the  Army. 

So  it  goes  without  saying  that  I  should  participate  with 
pleasure  in  that  I  had  the  great  good  fortune  to  command 
Yanks  and  to  know  what  was  their  tradition.  And  I  was 
so  reminded  of  it  here,  when  these  lads  of  mine,  these  YD 
men,  with  their  band,  and  those  women  went  by, — which 
to  my  mind  was  the  feature  of  the  parade, — gently  bred 
women,  with  their  eyes  up  in  the  clouds,  where  I  used  to 
tell  my  lads  to  look, — sopping  wet.  And  then  as  they  went 
by  the  famous  battle  hymn  of  the  26th  Division  was  played 
to  march  them  past. 

These  lads  of  the  iO4th  at  Neuf chateau,  as  they  came  by 
in  review,  the  colonel,  knowing  how  partial  I  was  to  that 

178 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

air, — we  were  the  first  to  take  it  as  our  own, — had  a  card 
with  those  wonderful  words  on  it,  and  after  the  review  the 
regiment  of  the  iO4th  of  which  this  is  a  component  part 
formed  in  four  sides  of  a  square,  with  the  band  in  the  mid- 
dle, and  they  sang  the  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic  as 
their  own. 

I  was  riding  a  thoroughbred  horse  and  I  galloped  up 
there  and  I  said,  "Let  that  ring  in  your  hearts,  and  make 
you  think  of  your  home,  and  there  is  one  word  that  will  tell 
what  I  expect  you  to  do  to  the  boche."  And  a  cheer  went 
up,  and  my  horse  nearly  turned  a  somersault.  These  lads 
will  recall  it. 

We  went  in  immediately  to  the  fight,  and  this  iO4th  of 
yours,  that  hadn't  got  even  the  baptism  of  fire,  the  first 
desperate  smash  was  theirs,  and  when  the  boche  got  on  the 
left  of  them,  and  our  right  fell  back,  they  came  in  his  rear. 
Many  of  these  men  said  that  the  ring  was  in  their  heart, 
and  no  ring  on  earth  will  make  men  fight  so  if  they  learn  to 
sing  that  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic. 

At  the  end  they  got  pretty  tired,  and  the  boche  got  well 
behind  them.  Blood  and  sinew  were  bound  to  give  way. 
And  what  did  your  lads  from  Springfield  and  Westfield  do, 
but  charge  to  the  front,  singing,  "Hail!  Hail!  The  gang's 
all  here ! "  And  then  some  sergeant  would  say, ' '  I  will  have 
men  left  to  charge  back  again.."  And  they  fought  for  three 
days,  from  the  loth  of  April  to  the  I3th,  and  didn't  lose 
one  foot  of  ground.  And  your  regiment  from  this  part  of 
the  country  was  decorated,  the  first  one  in  the  American 
Army,  with  the  croix  de  guerre. 

Now,  one  word  about  the  psychology  of  the  American 
soldier.  He  is  a  queer  animal  or  he  is  a  delicate  piece  of 
machinery,  whichever  you  want  to  call  him.  You  can't 
make  a  Tommy  out  of  him.  I  wish  I  had  time  to  tell  you 
why,  and  of  those  that  tried  it.  You  can't  make  a  French- 
man out  of  him,  or  an  Italian.  And  God  knows  you  don't 

179 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

want  to  make  a  boche  out  of  him.  But  he  has  got  elements 
that  in  peace  times  we  often  think  are  detriments.  In 
other  words,  you  know  that  a  lad  of  sixteen  years  of  age 
knows  much  more  than  his  father,  and  a  girl  of  much  more 
tender  years  can't  be  taught  by  her  mother.  But  when  war 
comes  along  and  bullets  prevail,  and  men  go  up  against 
blood  and  iron,  they  are  quite  controlling  forces.  And  all 
that  it  is  necessary  to  do — and  I  can  prove  it  because  I  had 
a  lot  of  thirty  thousand  green  men,  whom  I  knew  had  to  go 
against  the  best  army  in  this  world, — or  that  thought  they 
were, — but  they  were  boche,  and  I  knew  it. 

I  came  home  one  day  to  my  staff  after  they  had  taken  four 
of  my  best  boys  away,  and  I  said,  "There  is  only  one 
thing  you  have  got  to  do  with  those  Yanks,  and  you  have 
got  them."  They  said,  "How?"  Said  I,  "Tell  them 
what  you  want  of  them,  and  why,  and  pat  them  on  the 
back,  and  I  believe  there  is  a  certain  kind  of  infernal  region 
that  they  will  go  through  for  you." 

Literally  that  is  what  I  did.  These  men  knew  I  believed 
in  them.  So  I  averred.  And  then  you  may  epitomize  a 
few  rules,  which  my  forty  years  of  service  have  told  me  are 
all  that  is  necessary  to  do  with  the  American  soldier. 

First,  show  him  that  you  are  interested  in  him, — and 
you  can't  fool  him.  Second,  show  him  that  you  are  trying 
to  be  fair, — and  he  will  forgive  you  your  errors.  Com- 
mend an  American  whenever  you  may,  and  condemn  him 
when  you  must,  and  keep  him  right  up  to  the  line.  And 
never  give  an  American  false  praise,  and  when  possible,  don't 
lower  his  self  respect.  And  that  American  will  go  to  hell  for 
you,  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  and  never  count  the  cost. 

Trained  like  that,  he  is  the  finest  soldier  of  any  land  in 
the  world.  And  it  was  so  proved  abroad.  There  were 
great,  great  lessons  to  learn  with  the  American  Divisions. 
And  I  speak  of  the  Yankee  Division  as  but  typical  of  the 
others.  And  it  is  all  a  question  of  basic  citizenship. 

1 80 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

A  good  soldier, — what  is  he?  A  sound  mind  and  sound 
body,  a  man  who  appreciates  the  dignity  of  labor,  the 
happiness  of  industry,  the  benefits  of  our  institutions,  the 
point  of  view  of  his  fellow,  who  can  control  himself,  and 
knows  how  to  shoot.  That  is  a  soldier,  and  that  is  a  citi- 
zen. And  nothing  but  the  basic  qualities  of  citizenship 
and  the  capitalization  of  our  traditions  did  those  impossible 
things  that  were  60  per  cent  better  than  any  soldier  had  a 
right  to  dream  that  they  could  do.  And  that  is  the  Ameri- 
can soldier. 

It  is  that  about  these  lads.  I  used  to  go  up  and  down 
through  New  England  to  these  "Welcome  Homes"  before 
the  YD  men  came,  and  I  said,  "You  will  find  the  men  so 
vastly  improved  that  you  have  mathematically  got  to  say 
they  are  two  or  three  hundred  per  cent  regenerated." 
There  is  no  question  about  it.  They  are  going  to  exercise 
the  franchise,  as  these  Civil  War  veterans.  And  my 
uncle  and  others  used  to  tell  us  that  it  was  the  best  elector- 
ate they  had  ever  seen. 

There  is  one  thing  on  the  side  though.  And  all  my 
ancestors  were  in  the  Civil  War.  These  Civil  War  veterans 
were  tougher  than  we  were.  They  were  sturdier.  They 
stood  it  for  four  years,  and  we  one.  And,  confidentially,  I 
believe  that  they  were  morally  tougher.  In  other  words, 
they  didn't  have  to  have  repressive  laws.  They  weren't  told 
they  couldn't  do  anything,  as  are  we. 

And  I  believe  this  great  outburst  of  the  nation,  sending 
these  delightful  women,  and  keeping  us  within  bounds,  and 
all  those  ministers,  was  due  in  some  way  to  some  act  of 
these  Civil  War  veterans,  different  from  us.  I  hate  to  say 
that  we  were  wickeder,  but  war  makes  men,  and  up  and 
down  through  New  England  I  have  had  mayors  and 
selectmen  come  to  me  and  say,  "What  on  earth  did  you 
do  to  those  men?  I  sent  you  a  lot,  six  or  seven  that  God  or 
man  could  do  nothing  with.  They  were  bad  actors.  I 

181 


WESTFI-ELD,        MASSACHUSETTS 

was  glad  to  have  them  go.  And  they  come  back  here,  have 
gone  to  work,  many  of  them  decorated,  and  swearing  by 
you.  What  did  you  do?"  Said  I,  "Nothing  on  earth." 

When  you  put  a  lot  of  men  up  for  ten  months,  expecting 
to  die  every  day  of  their  lives,  those  men  think  they  have 
been  nearer  to  their  God  than  they  have  been  since  they 
left  their  mothers'  knees.  A  bunch  of  machine  gun  nests 
will  produce  more  automatic  praying  than  any  altars  I 
have  ever  seen. 

And  then  let  them  know  that  you  believe  in  them,  and 
if  there  is  anything  good  in  a  man  or  in  tradition  it  conies 
out,  as  it  has  come  out  in  these  men.  I  will  say  about  this 
desperate  series  of  problems  that  face  this  nation,  that 
they  are  your  solution,  under  the  guidance  of  these  Civil 
War  men,  in  the  organizations  they  make.  I  would  rather 
have — and  I  know  them  intimately  and  speak  of  them  as 
typical  of  the  rest — those  forty  thousand  YD  men  write 
the  laws  for  my  family  than  any  lot  of  men  I  have  ever  seen. 

So  I  think  you  will  get  sanity.  I  think  you  will  get  men 
who  have  reached  man's  estate.  I  think  you  will  find  a 
lot  of  men  who  have  seen  the  futility  of  schisms  and  fads 
and  panaceas,  who  have  seen  the  institutions  of  our  Allies 
and  of  the  boche,  who  have  learned  the  benefit  of  our  own 
institutions  and  are  determined  to  keep  them  sacred.  God 
pity  the  soap  box  assassin  that  gets  up  and  preaches  destruc- 
tion of  government  if  any  of  these  lads  are  around.  They 
will  muss  him  up. 

Now,  let  me  read  you  the  constitution  that  I  picked  up 
from  my  table  this  morning,  of  the  American  Legion,  that 
they  have  evolved  themselves  in  the  first  meeting.  Perhaps 
you  have  all  heard  it.  The  American  Legion's  spirit  and 
purpose  is  reflected  in  the  preamble  to  its  constitution, 
which  reads: 

"For  God  and  country  we  associate  ourselves  together  for  the  following 
purposes:  To  uphold  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 

182 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

of  America;  to  maintain  law  and  order;  to  foster  and  perpetuate  a  one 
hundred  per  cent  Americanism;  to  preserve  the  memories  and  incidents  of 
our  associations  in  the  Great  War;  to  inculcate  a  sense  of  individual 
obligation  to  the  community,  state  and  nation;  to  combat  the  autocracy 
of  both  the  classes  and  the  masses;  to  make  right  the  master  of  might; 
to  promote  peace  and  good-will  on  earth;  to  safeguard  and  transmit  to 
posterity  the  principles  of  justice,  freedom  and  democracy;  and  to  con- 
secrate and  sanctify  our  comradeship  by  our  devotion  to  mutual  help- 
fulness." 

I  congratulate  you  upon  being  kin  of  their  kin  and  blood 
of  their  blood,  and  I  will  tell  you — and  I  know  it — that 
the  blood  of  New  England  has  not  attenuated. 


At  the  conclusion  of  Major-General  Edwards'  address, 
the  audience  of  more  than  fifteen  hundred  people  rose  and 
applauded  with  great  enthusiasm,  while  the  two  bands, 
seated  in  the  gallery,  one  on  each  side  of  the  platform, 
played  the  "Commandery  March"  followed  by  "The 
Star  Spangled  Banner."  This  completed  the  program  of 
the  afternoon,  except  for  the  service  men,  to  whom  a 
"Welcome  Home"  was  extended  through  the  following 
committee : 


183 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


WELCOME   HOME   TO   SERVICE    MEN   OF   THE 

LATE  WAR 

COMMITTEE 
REV.  CLEMENT  E.  HOLMES,  Chairman 

PERCY  N.  HALL  WILLIAM  C.  WHOLEAN 

JOSEPH  A.  KENYON  GEORGE  JACHYM 

DANIEL  F.  DOHERTY  EMIL  MOTAK 

Immediately  after  the  parade  was  dismissed  in  front  of 
the  Town  Hall,  the  service  men  were  transported  to  Woro- 
noco  Park,  for  the  clambake  and  program  of  field-sports. 

The  clambake  went  off  according  to  schedule  with 
clams,  lobster,  chicken,  corn  and  other  good  things  to  eat; 
but  sports  were  out  of  the  question.  All  hope  of  having 
that  Army  and  Navy  ball  game,  on  which  the  returned 
civilians  had  counted,  was  abandoned;  for  even  had  the 
clouds  cleared  away,  the  diamond  at  the  race-track  would 
have  had  the  appearance  of  the  rain-soaked  trenches  at 
Chateau  Thierry,  and  would  have  been  altogether  too 
muddy  for  any  kind  of  game. 

The  men  were  served  in  the  Park  Pavilion  and  as  a 
crowning  feature,  there  was  an  impromptu  address  by 
General  Edwards.  After  leaving  the  church  where  the 
dedication  exercises  were  held,  he,  with  his  personal  aide, 
Major  Hyatt,  was  driven  to  Woronoco  Park,  where  a 
rousing  reception  awaited  him.  He  gave  the  men  a  heart- 
to-heart  talk  and  advised  everyone  of  them  to  join  the 
Legion. 

There  were  also  remarks  by  Rev.  Clement  E.  Holmes 
and  District  Attorney  Joseph  B.  Ely. 

Edward  G.  Clark  gave  out  one  hundred  copies  of  the 
volume,  "  Westfield  in  the  World  War,"  for  the  preparation 
of  which  a  part  of  the  appropriation  had  been  used. 

184 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


DANCING  ON  THE  GREEN 

Although  twice  postponed  because  of  inclement  weather, 
the  community  dancing  and  carnival  feature  of  the  town's 
25Oth  Anniversary  Celebration  took  place  on  Thursday, 
September  4,  1919,  and  lost  nothing  in  enthusiasm  nor  in 
anticipated  crowds. 

As  a  social  event  it  was  the  greatest  of  its  kind  that  the 
town  has  ever  seen.  Westfield's  thousands  of  residents 
and  those  of  the  attendants  at  the  anniversary  celebration 
who  had  not  returned  home,  were  joined  by  large  delega- 
tions of  visitors  from  out  of  town.  They  poured  in  by 
means  of  auto  and  trolley  and  it  was  estimated  that  there 
were  20,000  persons  present.  A  crowded  dance-surface 
was  the  result,  but  the  enormous  number  was  well  handled. 
All  during  the  program,  traffic  was  eliminated  from  the 
Green.  Detour  arrangements  were  made  for  the  autoists 
and  some  of  the  streets  leading  into  the  square  were 
reserved  for  parking  purposes. 

The  green  was  brilliantly  lighted  for  the  reception  of  the 
guests.  In  addition  to  the  natural  illumination  furnished 
by  the  moon,  there  were  arc-lights,  colored  spot-lights, 
incandescent  lights  hidden  in  Japanese  lanterns,  clusters  of 
lights  and  multi-colored  incandescent  globes,  all  of  which 
poured  forth  their  rays  on  the  dance-surface. 

Preceding  the  dance  program,  there  were  two  band 
concerts  with  the  Westfield  Band  and  Short's  Band  alter- 
nating. The  latter  was  located  in  front  of  the  Hampden 
National  Bank  on  Main  Street,  while  the  other  was  placed 
at  the  south  end  of  the  Green. 

A  generous  portion  of  the  esthetic  dances,  which  were  to 
have  been  given  at  the  Community  Picnic  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Miss  Florence  Barker,  were  woven  into  the  opening 

185 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

numbers  of  the  program.     There  was  first  a  military  drill 
by  the  following  group : 

BEATRICE  BETTINGER  ELIZABETH  ROONEY 

ADELINE  WARNER  SYLVIA  GOODMAN 

MARY  CORONER  MARION  PHILLIPS 

MADELINE  DAVISON  FLORIS  DEGERE 

MARY  CRANE  PHYLLIS  COOLEY 

LOUISE  MCMAHON  VIRGINIA  COSBY 

MARY  MOSELEY  ELIZABETH  BARNES 

HANNAH  GOODMAN  GERTRUDE  FINNELL 

BETTY  WELLER  LAURA  JUNIOR 
MARGUERITE  LANE 

Miss  Gertrude  Finnell  in  a  special  toe-dance  number, 
"The  Snow  Queen,"  won  much  applause.  A  suite  of 
interpretive  dances,  the  first  part  "Night  and  Storm" 
given  by  Miss  Vesta  Gannett,  and  the  second  part  "  Dawn" 
by  Miss  Marjorie  MacWorthy,  also  received  much  applause 
from  the  vast  assemblage.  Following  these  an  Irish  lilt  by 
Miss  Floris  Degere  and  Miss  Gertrude  Finnell  was  excel- 
lently given. 

Another  dance,  "School  Days,"  represented  the  reopen- 
ing of  school  after  the  summer  vacation.  Those  who  took 
part  caused  much  amusement  by  their  antics.  They  were : 

MILDRED  BARNES  OLIVE  LANDRY 

MARION  PHILLIPS  FLORIS  DEGERE 

LORNA  BETTINGER  HANNAH  GOODMAN 

ADELAIDE  WALL  DOROTHY  MULCAHY 

MARY  ROONEY  GERTRUDE  FINNELL 

ALICE  O'BRIEN  MARION  HOLCOMB 
MARY  MOSELEY 

The  closing  number  of  the  special  program  was  the 
stately  minuet,  given  by  a  group  of  sixteen  young  women. 
Always  admirable,  this  old-time  dance  was  especially 
beautiful  in  the  unusual  setting,  and  proved  an  appropriate 
ending  to  a  most  charming  entertainment. 

1 86 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

The  partners  in  the  minuet  were  as  follows : 

LAURA  JUNIOR  AND  FRANCES  MANNING 
RENA  MANNING  AND  BARBARA  HEDGES 
MARJORIE  MACWORTHY  AND  ZILPAH  MEYER 
ALFREDA  MAYOR  AND  VESTA  GANNETT 
RUTH  HARDEN  AND  RUTH  WOOD 
CATHERINE  WESSON  AND  MAUDE  HILMUTH 
MARION  BROWN  AND  MILDRED  BEALS 
RUTH  BEALS  AND  RUTH  TAYLOR 

After  the  minuet,  favors  were  distributed  by  the  enter- 
tainment committee.  There  were  carnival  hats,  confetti 
and  paper  serpentines  in  abundance.  Then  came  the 
grand  march  consisting  of  125  couples.  Preceding  Short's 
Band  was  Frederick  Goodwin,  chairman  of  the  Entertain- 
ment Committee,  with  Miss  Florence  Barker.  Following 
the  band  came  those  who  took  part  in  the  special  dances, 
in  costume.  Morrell  H.  Moore,  chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Selectmen,  and  his  niece,  Miss  Mildred  Cleveland,  led  the 
division  of  townspeople,  and  after  marching  around  the 
Green  everyone  joined  in  a  one-step,  the  first  of  the  twenty- 
four  dance  numbers  in  which  anyone  was  at  liberty  to 
participate. 


187 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


From  The  Valley  Echo  of  September  5,  /pip 

AN  APPRECIATION 
Editor  of  Valley  Echo: 

As  a  descendant  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  Westfield, 
I  feel  that  I  must  in  some  small  way  express  my  apprecia- 
tion of  the  pleasure  received  from  a  visit  to  your  town  dur- 
ing the  25Oth  Anniversary  Celebration. 

The  courtesy  extended  to  all  was  generous,  spontaneous 
and  quiet  and  its  spirit  was  felt  everywhere. 

The  pageant  was  a  perfect  success,  the  setting  excellently 
chosen  and  the  handling  of  a  great  crowd  could  not  have 
been  better.  The  business-like  parking  of  automobiles 
could  have  given  good  points  to  the  traffic  police  in  large 
cities.  The  history  of  the  town  as  passed  in  review  before 
us,  revealed  the  hardships  and  courage  of  the  pioneers. 
The  costumes  were  particularly  interesting  to  us  as  we  had 
never  seen  so  many  well  preserved  clothes  of  that  period 
in  one  collection. 

The  Hostess  House,  the  Industrial  Exhibit  and  the  mark- 
ing of  historic  houses,  with  the  beautiful  decorations  on 
every  side,  impressed  us  with  the  community  spirit  and 
exhaustive  labor  entailed. 

As  we  left  the  historic  town  on  our  return  home  it  was 
with  a  feeling  of  pride  and  gratitude  because  of  our  an- 
cestry from  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts. 

RADIX. 
(MRS.  WILLIAM  A.  ROOT,  Bennington,  Vt.) 


188 


APPENDIX 

REMINISCENT  SKETCHES 
1869-1919 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


To  Present  and  Former  Residents  of  Westfield: 

Have  you  Westfield  memories  which  should  be  preserved?  Do  you  know 
some  good  stories  which  should  not  be  lost?  Do  you  want  to  pay  tribute 
to  the  men  and  women  who  have  directed  the  life  of  this  community 
during  the  past  fifty  years?  The  committee  having  charge  of  the  publica- 
tion of  the  official  record  of  the  25oth  anniversary  celebration  of  the  town, 
would  be  glad  to  add  some  pages  of  reminiscence  which  may  throw  a 
stronger  light  upon  the  Westfield  of  the  last  half  century,  and  they  there- 
fore make  this  public  appeal  for  interesting  material.  The  best  part  of 
the  book  published  in  1870  recording  the  celebration  of  the  previous  year, 
is  the  appendix  which  contains  a  series  of  "Pictures  of  Westfield  as  it  was" 
from  the  pen  of  the  Hon.  William  G.  Bates.  No  one  among  us  today 
has  the  reputation  of  "Squire  Bates"  for  good  story  telling,  but  if  many 
unite  their  efforts,  we  may  be  able  to  gather  enough  of  the  intimate  and 
personal  to  give  real  flavor  to  the  forthcoming  book.  The  editors  will  of 
course  be  forced  to  use  their  own  judgment  in  accepting  and  rejecting 
material  and  in  its  arrangement,  but  will  welcome  with  an  open  and  hos- 
pitable mind  any  contributions  which  may  be  offered.  Please  give  this 
serious  thought  and  send  the  results  before  January  1st  to 


54  Court  Street, 
Westfield,  Mass. 


IQI 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


THE   ROSE  JAR 

PHILIP  RICHARDS  DUNBAR 

Ah,  Westfield — Mother!    How  shall  we, 

In  some  rapt  instant,  haply  fall 
Fair  on  the  hidden  spring,  and  free 

The  secret  chamber  in  the  wall 

And  set  the  world  at  just  the  slant, 
With  philtre  loosed  from  some  old  vial, 

To  conjure  back  the  jubilant 

Young  hours  when  dawn  shone  on  the  dial? 

In  vain  with  voice  dismayed  to  plead 
"  Sesame !  open !"     The  door  obeys 

No  more,  nor  yields  the  paths  that  lead 
Full  view  on  vanished  yesterdays. 

Take  then  in  lieu  this  dusty  jar, 
With  faded  rose  leaves  all  suffused, 

In  whose  faint  breathing  still  there  are 
Dear  ghosts  of  days  and  ways  we  used. 

Here  all  your  house  unheeded  dwells, 
Till  hint  of  haunting  sweet  beguiles 

The  olden  mood  once  more  and  tells 
The  chronicle  of  tears  and  smiles. 

Here  drowses  whispered  eloquence, 

Quenched  with  the  sparks  of  old  desires, 

And  passions  muse  that  once  were  tense 
And  vibrant  as  Aeolian  wires. 

Here  sleep  those  eager  lives  that  sang 
The  brooding  truth  in  everything, 

Kindled  a  new  surprise,  and  rang 

Like  trumpets  through  rude  trafficking. 

192 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

Here  dreamless  rest  the  wistful  hands, 

Sceptered  with  pity,  ease-denied — 
Whose  love  the  child  half  understands — 

And  wept  by  all  the  countryside. 

The  medleyed  trace  of  nameless  feet, 

That  chaffered  in  the  market-place, 
The  simple  scene  that  tricked  the  street, 

The  gradual  silences  erase. 

So  safe,  so  sure,  and  held  so  fast! 

We  said  "They  never  will  depart." 
Time  touches  all  with  change;  at  last 

Love  hoards  their  fragrance  in  the  heart. 

Go  with  us.    Azure  light  above 

The  western  hill  lures  on.    We  crave 

To  the  trail's  end  the  mother-love 
You  lavished  on  the  lives  you  gave. 


13  193 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

PEN  SKETCH  OF  WESTFIELD   IN    1919 
GEORGE  W.  SEARLE 

Although  Westfield  has  grown  to  be  the  second  largest  town  in  the  com- 
monwealth, with  a  population  of  about  20,000,  and  has  kept  pace  with 
the  numerous  changes  that  modern  communities  have  introduced,  she  has 
never  lost  faith  in  the  benefit  to  be  derived  from  the  older  fashioned  but 
substantial  methods  of  our  sturdy  founders,  and  such  of  these  methods 
and  ideas  as  can  be  moulded  to  comply  with  present  day  conditions  are 
retained  and  their  value  appreciated.  While  the  population  has  changed 
in  its  character,  due  to  the  influx  of  immigrants  from  European  countries, 
mainly  Russia  and  Austria,  while  many  new  industries  have  sprung  up 
and  grown  to  large  proportions  we  have  many  times  had  reason  to  feel 
that  we  are  built  on  a  firm  and  sturdy  foundation  laid  by  our  forefathers 
and  we  give  due  credit  to  them,  their  judgment  and  their  foresight. 

In  1915  the  population  was  18,411  and  it  is  generally  considered  that 
today  we  have  neared  the  20,000  mark.  At  least  5,000  and  probably  more 
are  Poles,  Slavs,  Lithuanians,  Bohemians  and  Hungarians,  with  many 
Italians  and  Spaniards.  The  first  comers  from  these  central  Euro  pen 
countries  arrived  about  thirty  years  ago  and  have  furnished  much  of  the 
labor  in  our  factories  and  on  our  farms.  Many  of  these  people  live  in  the 
Meadow  Street  section  although  others  are  south  of  Noble  Street  near 
the  bicycle  factory  of  the  Westfield  Manufacturing  Company  and  many 
are  scattered  about  town.  They  are  an  industrious,  frugal  element  of  our 
population  and  are  being  rapidly  assimilated,  building  their  own  homes 
and  taking  advantage  of  our  naturalization  laws  to  become  citizens. 

In  spite  of  many  efforts  to  bring  about  a  change  by  those  who  feel  that 
the  name  "city"  carries  greater  prestige,  the  town  form  of  government 
has  been  retained.  Evening  town  meetings  are  held  and  are  often  at- 
tended by  from  800  to  1,000  voters,  probably  the  largest  legislative  body 
in  the  United  States.  At  the  present  time  a  committee  is  investigating 
the  desirability  of  a  changed  form  of  government  as  there  is  a  belief  in 
many  quarters  that  the  large  town  meetings  of  the  present  day  are  not  de- 
sirable or  conducive  to  the  best  government.  All  of  our  voting  is  done  at 
the  Town  Hall,  there  being  but  one  precinct.  Three  thousand  voters  are 
registered,  it  being  said  to  be  the  largest  voting  precinct  in  Massachusetts. 
The  present  valuation  of  the  town  is  over  $13,500,000.  The  town  owns  the 
municipal  water  plant  valued  at  over  $600,000,  on  which  there  is  but 
$25,000  indebtedness.  Two  systems  of  supply  are  operated  at  Mont- 

194 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

gomery  and  Granville  and  on  the  latter  watershed  is  an  opportunity  to 
construct  a  storage  system  good  for  more  than  fifty  years.  The  use  of 
water  is  unlimited,  no  domestic  services  being  metered.  The  water  is  of 
excellent  quality  and  rates  are  lower  than  the  average. 

Another  asset  of  the  town  is  the  Municipal  Gas  and  Electric  Plant 
which  is  inventoried  at  over  $350,000.  This  was  purchased  by  the  town  in 
1899.  Both  water  gas  and  coal  gas  sets  are  installed  and  electric  current 
is  purchased  from  the  Turners  Falls  Power  and  Electric  Company,  since 
this  spring.  Besides  the  house  and  street  lighting  nearly  all  of  the  manu- 
facturing plants  purchase  power  from  the  municipal  plant.  Much  favor- 
able comment  is  caused  by  the  town's  surface  and  sanitary  sewerage 
systems  costing  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  and  the  extent  of  our 
excellent  sidewalks.  Nearly  all  of  the  roads  in  the  center  of  the  town 
are  surfaced  and  compare  to  our  advantage  with  the  highways  of  other 
cities  and  towns. 

Interest  in  education  has  always  been  keen  and  the  annual  expenditure 
for  schools  exceeds  $125,000.  There  are  twenty  school  buildings  in  town 
in  addition  to  the  Boys'  Trade  School  where  metal  working  courses  are 
taught,  and  the  State  Normal  School,  a  training  school  conducted  by  the 
commonwealth  for  training  teachers.  Recently  when  it  seemed  that  the 
school  buildings  were  being  crowded  the  town  erected  within  a  period  of 
three  years  three  large  and  one  small  building,  at  an  expense  of  about 
$275,000.  Schools  have  not  been  neglected  despite  financial  stress,  and 
the  standard  of  Westfield  schools  is  second  to  none. 

The  Fire  Department  is  operated  by  permanent  firemen  assisted  by  call 
men  and  the  department  is  completely  motorized,  the  last  horse-drawn 
apparatus  having  been  discarded  about  four  years  ago. 

The  town  possesses  an  excellent  public  library,  the  Westfield  Atheneum, 
conveniently  located  at  the  corner  of  Elm  and  Court  Streets.  Through 
the  generosity  of  the  late  Milton  B.  Whitney,  for  many  years  president  of 
the  institution,  a  new  and  modern  library  building  will  soon  be  erected, 
Mr.  Whitney  having  left  bequests  for  this  purpose.  Noble  Hospital  and 
the  Keep  Memorial  Building,  the  contagious  building  of  the  hospital, 
located  on  a  high  and  sightly  spot  on  West  Silver  Street  cared  for  nearly 
1,200  patients  last  year  and  proves  daily  its  value  to  the  community. 
Although  not  as  heavily  endowed  as  many  institutions  of  a  similar  nature, 
it  has  rendered  sterling  service  and  won  its  way  into  the  hearts  of  all  who 
have  learned  of  its  great  work.  Present  and  past  residents  of  the  town  re- 
sponded so  generously  to  the  appeal  made  in  the  autumn  of  1918  for  the 
hospital  that  the  institution  is  at  this  writing  undergoing  extensive  repairs 
and  enlargement. 

195 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

A  Federal  building  erected  in  1913  and  containing  the  Post-Office  faces 
the  Green  of  which  more  than  passing  mention  should  be  made.  This  at- 
tractive space  has  been  retained  as  a  park  and  is  a  most  picturesque  spot. 
More  than  seventy  years  ago  a  number  of  individuals  each  planted  an  elm 
tree  on  the  Green.  They  never  knew  how  much  their  act  of  thoughtfulness 
beautified  the  town  in  later  generations  for  this  shady  resting  place  in  the 
center  of  business  activities  could  not  be  purchased  for  any  sum.  Three 
churches,  the  Library,  High  School  and  Town  Hall  and  Post  Office  face 
the  Green  and  it  is  planned  that  as  more  pretentious  municipal  buildings 
are  erected  in  future  years  that  they  be  located  here  where  a  wonderful 
natural  setting  exists  for  a  municipal  group. 

The  streets  of  the  town  are  many  of  them  tree-lined  and  everywhere 
there  are  modest  homes  owned  in  large  measure  by  their  occupants. 
Westfield  is  also  provided  with  recreational  centers.  The  Whitney  Public 
Playground,  the  gift  of  the  late  M.  B.  Whitney,  is  located  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river  north  of  the  dike.  The  town  also  boasts  a  Country  Club 
with  a  good  nine  hole  golf  course,  tennis  courts  and  a  charming  clubhouse 
situated  in  the  western  part  of  the  town  overlooking  the  Russell  Road 
and  the  Westfield  River.  The  view  from  the  broad  piazza,  of  the  clubhouse 
is  unexcelled  in  this  section.  The  property  is  owned  by  the  club  and  is 
across  the  road  from  the  property  of  the  late  Ralph  D.  Gillett,  used  with 
his  permission  as  the  first  golf  course  in  Westfield. 

The  town  has  two  newspapers,  The  Westfield  Evening  Journal,  a  daily 
paper  issued  in  the  afternoon,  and  a  weekly,  The  Valky  Echo. 

A  spacious  new  theater,  "The  Strand"  was  recently  erected  on  Church 
Street  and  "The  New  Nickel"  is  located  on  Elm  Street,  near  Bartlett. 

The  town  is  also  fortunate  in  possessing  unusually  modern  and  attrac- 
tive hotels.  In  fact,  no  town  of  the  size  of  Westfield  is  as  fortunate  in 
this  respect.  Westfield  hotels  are  well  known  for  their  cordial  treatment 
of  guests  and  homelike  atmosphere. 

Of  churches  there  are  two  Congregational  Churches,  two  Methodist 
Churches  and  Baptist,  Episcopal,  Adventist  and  German  Lutheran, 
besides  the  Wyben  Chapel  where  religious  services  for  that  community 
are  held,  and  five  Roman  Catholic  Churches. 

Westfield  is  a  manufacturing  community.  While  she  boasts  many 
farms  and  produces  a  quantity  of  agricultural  products  and  tobacco,  man- 
ufacturing is,  nevertheless,  the  backbone  of  the  town.  Whips,  radiators 
and  bicycles  are  the  chief  articles  produced,  but  there  are  many  other  man- 
ufactured articles,  the  output  of  factories  of  large  or  smaller  proportions. 
In  fact,  we  are  most  fortunate  in  having  within  our  midst  a  large  variety 
of  industries.  As  a  result  the  employment  offered  has  not  been  seasonal 

196 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

and  a  depression  in  one  line  of  business  has  not  affected  the  entire  town. 
For  many  years  we  have  claimed  the  title  of  the  "Whip  City"  from  the 
fact  that  here  are  manufactured  95  per  cent  of  the  whips  used  in  the 
world,  over  20,000,000  being  turned  out  annually.  The  tendency  in  the 
whip  business  has  been  to  eliminate  many  of  the  smaller  concerns  and 
concentrate  the  business  in  the  larger  factories.  As  for  years  past  West- 
field  retains  its  pre-eminence  and  doubtless  to  the  end  of  its  day  will  be 
the  "Whip  City."  The  radiator  and  boiler  business  of  the  H.  B.  Smith 
Company,  started  in  Westfield  and  always  located  here,  has  grown  to 
large  proportions.  The  company  occupies  two  large  plants,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  river,  and  employs  several  hundred  workmen,  many  of  whom 
are  skilled  mechanics.  Radiators  and  boilers  are  shipped  to  every  part 
of  the  world  and  the  success  of  the  concern  has  entered  into  and  ma- 
terially assisted  in  the  steady  growth  and  prosperity  of  the  town.  From 
the  number  of  employees  and  the  amount  of  its  payroll  the  Smith  Company 
is  the  largest  concern  in  the  town.  Many  years  ago  when  bicycle  riding 
was  a  craze  the  Lozier  Manufacturing  Company  established  a  large  factory 
in  Westfield  for  the  manufacture  of  bicycles.  Later  this  became  a  branch 
of  the  long  established  Pope  Manufacturing  Company  and  afterward  the 
business  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Westfield  Manufacturing  Company. 
As  the  bicycle  became  less  popular  it  grew  apparent  that  machines  will  al- 
ways be  used  for  business  convenience  as  well  as  pleasure.  The  Westfield 
Manufacturing  Company  has  succeeded  in  acquiring  a  large  share  of  this 
staple  business  and  has  been  most  successful.  Motorcycles  also  are  manu- 
factured and  during  the  war  much  of  the  plant  was  utilized  for  the  manu- 
facture of  shells,  and  large  additions  were  constructed.  With  the  end  of 
hostilities  the  bicycle  business  was  resumed  on  a  large  scale  and  the 
energetic  modern  methods  of  the  owners  are  making  a  success  of  this  large 
industry.  The  factory  is  located  in  the  southeast  part  of  the  town. 
While  the  cigar  business  does  not  reach  its  proportions  of  former  days  it  is 
still  one  of  the  town's  important  industries  and  a  number  of  manufacturers 
are  turning  out  a  smoke  of  the  highest  quality.  Japanese  linen  paper, 
manufactured  by  Crane  Brothers,  is  a  product  sent  far  and  wide.  The  mill 
is  one  of  Westfield's  established  institutions.  Among  the  most  successful 
and  largest  of  the  manufacturing  plants  is  the  Foster  Machine  Company, 
where  winding  machines  are  made.  Large  additions  have  been  recently 
constructed  and  the  working  force  increased.  The  factory  on  South  Broad 
Street  adjoins  the  plant  of  the  W.  Warren  Thread  Works,  another  of  the 
large  industries  of  the  town,  where  cotton  yarn  is  made  into  a  high  quality 
of  thread.  Other  products  manufactured  in  Westfield  include:  paper, 
casket  hardware,  warm  air  heaters,  bricks,  textile  machinery,  church  organs, 

197, 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

carriages,  brushes,  awnings,  ink  pads  and  stamps,  cutlery,  lithographing, 
soft  drinks,  automobile  bodies,  paper  and  cigar  boxes  and  other  articles. 
Trap-rock  and  marble  are  also  quarried  here. 

The  town  boasts  a  large  number  of  modern  up-to-date  stores  with  com- 
plete lines.  The  town  is  a  trading  center  for  a  number  of  surrounding 
communities  and  the  trolley  facilities  and  increased  use  of  automobiles 
bring  many  outsiders  here  to  trade. 

No  article,  however  brief,  on  Westfield  is  complete  without  some  refer- 
ence to  Westfield  as  the  "  Pure  Food  Town"  for  as  such  it  has  been  adver- 
tised and  won  fame  throughout  the  United  States.  The  thing  started  in 
a  casual  way  with  no  idea  that  it  would  develop  the  importance  which 
it  attained.  It  all  began  in  a  little  chemical  laboratory  in  the  Westfield 
State  Normal  School,  presided  over  by  Prof.  Lewis  B.  Allyn,  "The  Little 
Gray  Man."  Just  prior  to  then  Dr.  Wiley,  chief  chemist  for  the  United 
States  government  was  making  a  stand  against  the  use  of  alum,  coal  tar 
dyes  and  benzoate  of  soda  in  food  products.  The  matter  had  previously 
interested  Professor  Allyn,  who  contended  that  these  chemicals  in  food 
stuffs  were  dangerous  to  the  health  of  the  consumer  when  used  in  large 
quantities  or  continuously. 

Professor  Allyn  conducted  a  most  interesting  set  of  experiments  among 
his  classes  and  the  interest  of  the  teachers  and  pupils  began  to  spread  about 
town.  Later  it  grew  to  such  an  extent  that  the  Town  of  Westfield  set  up 
its  own  food  standards  and  local  grocers  and  provision  dealers  signed  an 
agreement  to  give  preference  to  foodstuff  not  containing  the  chemicals  in 
question.  Naturally  this  attracted  outside  interest  for  the  sales  of  certain 
lines  of  goods  fell  off  and  the  manufacturers  naturally  investigated.  Until 
then  the  agitation  had  been  purely  local  but  it  began  to  spread. 
Newspapers  and  magazines  all  over  the  country  interested  themselves  in 
the  matter  and  naturally  the  food  manufacturers  whose  output  came  within 
the  Westfield  Standard  advertised  that  fact.  Professor  Allyn  became  a 
contributor  to  various  national  magazines.  Other  newspapers  and 
magazines  gave  space  to  the  controversy  until  the  Westfield  Standard 
was  known  in  every  state  in  the  union.  It  is  a  significant  fact  that  the 
standards  set  by  Westfield  have  from  time  to  time  been  adopted  by  the 
government. 


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TWO  H  UNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


BANK  STATEMENTS 

1869    AND    1919 

The  following  bank  statements  indicate  the  material  development  of 
Westfield  during  the  past  fifty  years: 

STATEMENT  OF  THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  HAMPDEN  NATIONAL  BANK  OF 
WESTFIELD,  OCTOBER  9,  1869 

RESOURCES 

Loans  and  Discounts $98,489.93 

Overdrafts 152.56 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation 151,000.00 

U.  S.  Bonds  and  Securities  on  hand 64,000.00 

Other  Stocks,  Bonds  and  Mortgages 20,000.00 

Due  from  Redeeming  and  Reserve  Agents 65,720.91 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 2,101.90 

Due  from  other  Banks  and  Bankers 369 . 73 

Banking  House 8,000.00 

Cash  Items  (including  stamps)          45-12 

Bills  of  other  National  Banks 149.00 

Fractional  Currency  (including  nickels) 192.72 

Specie 7.00 

Legal  Tender  Notes 21,665.00 


Total $431,893.87 

LIABILITIES 

Capital  Stock  paid  in $150,000.00 

Surplus  Fund 53, 57° -5° 

Profit  and  Loss 639 . 59 

National  Bank  Circulation  outstanding 134,983.00 

State  Bank  Circulation  outstanding 4,765.00 

Individual  Deposits 84,928.91 

Due  to  National  Banks 3,006.87 


Total $431,893.87 

199 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


STATEMENT  OF  CONDITION  AT  CLOSE  OF  BUSINESS  SEPTEMBER  12,  1919 

RESOURCES 

Loans  and  Discounts $1,075,094.43 

Bonds  and  Stocks 382,131.66 

Banking  House 30,000.00 

Cash  and  Due  from  Banks 257,510.45 

Due  from  U.  S.  Treasury 2,500.00 

Overdrafts 278.67 

Due  on  Victory  Loan  Subscriptions 37,430.00 

Other  Assets 11,923.59 

Total $1,796,868.80 

LIABILITIES 

Capital  Stock         $150,000.00 

Surplus  and  Profits 195,368.18 

Circulation 50,000.00 

Deposits 1,011,338.98 

Bills  Payable 383,169.14 

Other  Liabilities 6,992 . 50 

Total $1,796,868.80 

STATEMENT  OF  THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK  OF 
WESTFIELD,  OCTOBER  9,   1869 

RESOURCES 

Loans  and  Discounts $182,705.59 

Overdrafts 4.23 

U.  S.  Bonds  to  secure  circulation 250,000 .  oo 

U.  S.  Bonds  and  Securities  on  hand 135,200.00 

Due  from  Redeeming  and  Reserve  Agents 23,663 . 07 

Due  from  other  National  Banks 2,290.00 

Banking  House 6,500.00 

Current  Expenses         1,104.03 

Taxes  Paid 2,253 . 57 

Premiums 36.00 

Cash  Items  (including  stamps)          916.04 

Bills  of  other  National  Banks 574 -oo 

Fractional  Currency  (including  nickels) 565 . 72 

Legal  Tender  Notes 21,605.00 

Total $627,417.25 

2OO 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


LIABILITIES 

Capital  Stock  paid  in $250,000.00 

Surplus  Fund 50,000.00 

Discount $5,141.19 

Exchanges 3,922.10 

Interest 4,869.64 

Profit  and  Loss 22.20  13,955 -13 

National  Bank  circulation  outstanding 224,513.00 

State  Bank  circulation  outstanding 3.345-OO 

Individual  Deposits 71,047.39 

Due  to  National  Banks     .      .      . 6,562.48 

Due  to  other  Banks  and  Bankers 7.994  •  25 


Total $627,417.25 

STATEMENT  OF  CONDITION  AT  CLOSE  OF  BUSINESS  SEPTEMBER  12,  1919 

RESOURCES 

United  States  Bonds $250,000.00 

Liberty  Loan  Bonds 200,800.00 

Loans  and  Discounts .  1,114,715.43 

Due  from  U.  S.  Treasury 12,500.00 

Stocks  and  Bonds 7,859.98 

Stock  in  Federal  Reserve  Bank 10,500.00 

Banking  House 35,000.00 

Other  Real  Estate 12,500.00 

Cash  and  Due  from  Banks 309,595.00 


Total $1,953,470.41 

LIABILITIES 

Capital  Stock          $250,000.00 

Surplus  and  Profits 339.882.39 

Circulation 250,000.00 

Deposits 1,113,588.02 


Total $1,953,470.41 


201 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


STATEMENT  OF  THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  WESTFIELD  SAVINGS   BANK, 

JANUARY  i,  1869 

LIABILITIES 

Due  depositors $280,955  -  36 

Surplus 1,261.21 

Interest 1,114.53 

Collateral  account H5-OO 


Total $283,446.10 

RESOURCES 

Investment  in  (Wfd)  First  National  Bank  Stock  .      .      .  $5,800.00 

"     "      Hampden ...  200.00 

"  (Northampton)  Hampshire  Co.  Stock  .      .  3,000.00 

"           U.  S.  5/2o's    1862 18,000.00 

"    "      "        1865 22,500.00 

'      "        1867 75,200.00 

"    "      "        Sixes  of  1881 9,600.00 

Loans  on  Public  Funds 24,250 .  oo 

Loans  on  Bank  Stock 4,000 .  oo 

Loans  on  Real  Estate 61,160.00 

Loans  on  Personal  Security 43,600.00 

Profit  and  Loss  account 2,027.37 

Expense  account 298.90 

Cash  deposited  in  First  National  Bank 13,809.83 


Total $283,446.10 

STATEMENT  OF  THE  CONDITION  AT  CLOSE  OF  BUSINESS,  SEPTEMBER  30, 

1919 

LIABILITIES 

Deposits $4,384,488.45 

Guarantee  Fund 214,432.32 

Profit  and  Loss 223,711.89 

Interest 17,014.95 

Due  on  Uncompleted  Loan 2,500.00 

Deposits  received  on  Liberty  Bonds 25,083.16 


Total $4,867,230.77 

202 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


ASSETS 

Loans  on  Real  Estate $2,782,409.30 

Loans  on  Personal  Security 301,829.13 

Loans  on  Bank  Stock 3,500.00 

Loans  on  Bank  Books 7  A31 -57 

U.  S.  Liberty  Bonds 487,168.54 

Railroad  Bonds        807,986.53 

Municipal  Bonds 13,000.00 

Street  Railway  Bonds 222,117.50 

American  Tel.  and  Tel.  Bonds 78,407.50 

Bank  Stock 71,700.00 

Expense  Account 2,102.27 

Real  Estate  by  Foreclosure  1 

Other  Assets,  Securities  Acquired  / 

Deposits  in  Banks  on  interest 34.329-71 

Deposits  in  Banks  not  on  interest 40,589.88 

Cash  on  hand 5,013.20 


Total $4,867,230.77 

STATEMENT  OF  CONDITION  OF  THE  WORONOCO  SAVINGS  BANK, 
OCTOBER  31,   1871 

LIABILITIES 

Deposits $65,220.95 

Interest 36.68 


Total $65,257.63 

ASSETS 

Loan  on  Personal  Security $19,250.00 

Loans  on  Mortgage  Security 23,350.00 

Bank  Stock 680 .  oo 

Government  Bonds 2,400.00 

Deposit  in  Hampden  National  Bank 19,577-63 

Total $65,257.63 


203 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


STATEMENT  OF  CONDITION  AT  THE  CLOSE  OF  BUSINESS,  OCTOBER  31,  1919 

LIABILITIES 

Deposits $3,264,992.73 

Guarantee  Fund 158,757.44 

Profit  and  Loss 105,781.48 

Other  Liabilities 3.375-  40 

Liberty  Bond  Safe  Deposit  Account 112,100.00 

Liberty  Bond  Deposit  Account,  3rd  and  4th    ....  16,331.00 

Liberty  Bond  Deposit  Account,  5th 10,284.00 


Total $3,671,622.05 

ASSETS 

Public  Funds $57,025.00 

Railroad  Bonds  and  Notes 627,430 .  oo 

Street  Railway  Bonds 215,456.25 

Boston  Terminal  Bonds 9,300.00 

American  Tel.  and  Tel.  Bonds 57,462.50 

National  Bank  and  Trust  Company  Stocks      ....  6,000 .  oo 

Securities  acquired  for  Indebtedness 9,440.00 

Loans  on  Real  Estate 2,021,396.00 

Loans  on  Personal  Security 105,227 . 50 

Furniture  and  Fixtures 13,500.00 

Liberty  Bonds        397,448.38 

Thrift  Stamp  Account 320.77 

Customer's  Liberty  Bonds  in  Safe  Deposit       ....  112,100.00 

Cash  on  hand  and  in  banks 39,515 -65 


Total $3,671,622.05 


204 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


REMINISCENCES  OF  TOWN  MEETINGS  IN  THE 
EIGHTIES  AND  NINETIES 

REV.  JOHN  H.  LOCKWOOD,  D.D. 

Much  has  been  written  in  characterization  and  praise  of  the  New  Eng- 
land town  meeting.  Its  value  as  a  political  institution, — the  original  unit 
of  Democracy, — can  hardly  be  overestimated.  It  is  a  useful  school  for 
individual  training  in  the  rights  and  responsibilities  of  citizenship.  Before 
one  attains  his  majority  he  can  visit  the  school  and  begin  his  tutelage 
before  becoming  entitled  to  the  privilege  of  either  speaking  or  voting;  and 
thus  not  be  obliged  to  take  his  active  place  there  as  an  absolute  novice. 

Being  myself  a  native  of  New  York  State,  my  first  personal  acquaintance 
with  this  notable  institution,  occurred  when,  at  the  age  of  thirty-two  years, 
I  attended  the  March  meeting  of  1880,  having  settled  in  Westfield  a  few 
days  after  the  April  meeting  of  the  preceding  year. 

My  interest  in  that  and  in  many  a  subsequent  meeting  during  two  and 
a  half  decades  succeeding,  was  intense  as  regards  the  business  affairs  and 
personal  characteristics  involved.  Important  questions  of  policy  relative 
to  appropriations  large  and  small  were  discussed  and,  when  wide  differ- 
ences of  opinion  arose,  were  threshed  out  to  definite  and  final  decisions, 
though  rarely  reconsidered  and  altered. 

During  the  whole  period  of  my  residence  I  considered  it  my  delight  and 
duty  to  attend  every  meeting, — regular  and  special, — a  duty  incumbent 
upon  every  citizen,  to  be  escaped  only  under  most  pressing  necessity. 

Many  items  of  vast  importance  to  the  growing  town  were  considered 
during  that  period  and  "there  were  giants  in  those  days."  Men  mem- 
orable for  personality  and  ability, — real  statesmen  in  vision,  efficiency  and 
debate,  in  this  unit  of  civic  administration. 

Often  did  I  listen  with  admiration  and  envy  to  those  gifted  village 
orators,  amazed  at  their  natural  powers  of  forceful  expression,  only  a  few 
of  them  having  had  the  benefits  of  college  training.  At  times  the  contest- 
ants on  both  sides  of  a  question  were  so  effective  and  convincing  in  press- 
ing their  respective  cases,  that  I  found  myself  wobbling,  each  speaker  in 
turn  bringing  me  to  a  decision  in  his  favor. 

Certain  great  enterprises  were  discussed  at  length  and  finally  approved, 
though  without  access  to  the  records  I  cannot  determine  accurately  the 
order  in  which  they  were  adopted,  some  of  them  having  been  carried  over 
from  year  to  year. 

The  raising  of  the  tracks  of  the  New  York  and  New  Haven  Railroad 

205 


WESTPJBLD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

was  one  of  them,  rendered  imperative  in  order  to  rid  the  town  of  a  half 
dozen  grade  crossings.  It  was  a  long,  tedious  and  expensive  job,  involv- 
ing a  change  of  grade  for  more  than  a  mile  from  the  "  tin  bridge,"  so-called, 
at  Little  River  south  of  Silver  Street,  to  the  Great  River;  but  its  benefit 
has  been  incalculable. 

Various  expedients  in  hardening  Elm  Street  were  vainly  tried  when 
action  was  finally  taken  providing  for  curbing  and  paving  from  the 
Green  to  Great  River.  The  horrid  incubus  of  deep  mud  alternating 
with  heavy  clouds  of  dust  was  removed. 

A  system  of  general  sewers,  with  trunk  lines  and  collaterals  was  adopted 
after  extensive  debate. 

The  lighting  system  of  the  town,  gas  and  electric,  was  purchased  from 
the  company  which  had  owned  and  developed  it. 

The  Granville  water  system,  supplementary  to  the  original  Montgomery 
system,  was  approved  and  thoroughly  completed. 

Various  large  schoolhouses  required  by  the  increasing  population  of  the 
town  were  approved  and  committed  to  competent  hands. 

As  each  annual  meeting  drew  near,  the  hearts  of  the  School  Board  began 
to  flutter  with  anxiety  lest  the  steadily  enlarging  appropriations  called  for 
because  required  by  steadily  changing  conditions,  might  in  some  way 
arouse  opposition  and  fail  of  approval.  I  well  knew  the  keenness  of  that 
trepidation  from  an  experience  of  several  years  as  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittee and  latterly  as  chairman;  and  the  blessed  relief  felt  when  the  budget 
was  finally  ratified.  Westfield  has  cherished  and  maintained  traditional 
generosity  to  its  schools  for  many  generations. 

Minor  matters  coming  up  year  by  year  for  consideration,  and  over  which 
were  numerous  squabbles  and  heart-burnings,  concerned  the  acceptance  of 
new  streets,  the  extension  of  concrete  sidewalks,  the  location  of  new  street 
lights,  the  hardening  or  paving  of  streets,  etc. 

The  list  of  items  in  the  annual  warrants  became  so  numerous  and  the 
questions  involved  became  so  complicated,  that  the  happy  plan  was 
adopted  whereby  an  unhappy  committee  was  regularly  appointed  to  spend 
weary  hours  in  considering  them  and  make  recommendations  respecting 
them.  But  for  the  efficient  work  of  these  successive  committees,  West- 
field  would  have  been  forced  long  ere  now  to  adopt  a  city  charter. 

All  these  varied  questions  demanded  and  received  thorough  and  ex- 
tended discussion,  which  at  times  was  carried  to  wearisome  length  by 
long-winded  advocates. 

It  was,  however,  the  display  of  personal  character  and  peculiarity  which 
gave  me  keenest  interest  in  those  town  meetings.  Various  men  who  on 
these  occasions  exercised  their  right  of  free  speech,  stand  out  clearly  in  my 

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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

memory.  They  were  a  notable  company,  always  impressive  to  a  student 
of  human  nature  and  a  loyal  citizen  of  the  historic  town. 

A  remarkably  capable  series  of  moderators  guided  the  proceedings. 
When  we  found  one  of  that  type  we  liked  to  keep  him  in  the  chair  at  suc- 
cessive meetings,  and  he  was  generally  willing  to  wear  the  distressful 
crown.  In  this  class  Robert  H.  Kneil,  Harold  P.  Moseley  and  Joseph  D. 
Cadle  are  most  prominent  in  my  recollection.  When  affairs  occasionally 
became  so  complicated  as  to  bewilder  an  ordinary  parliamentarian,  those 
skilful  moderators  would  keep  their  heads,  maintain  order  and  give  rulings 
which  very  rarely  were  upset  by  Cushing's  Manual. 

The  sturdiest  and  most  effective  debaters  were  the  Kneils, — Thomas, 
the  rugged  Manxman, — and  his  two  sons,  Arthur  S.  and  Robert.  Deacon 
H.  B.  Smith,  founder,  with  his  brother  Edwin,  of  the  great  manufacturing 
concern  which  still  bears  his  name;  James  H.  Bryan,  merchant  and  ever 
ready  speaker;  Lucius  F.  Thayer,  whose  engineering  ability  was  utilized 
by  the  town  for  so  long  a  period,  always  prepared  to  give  a  clear  statement 
and  essential  figures  when  any  new  engineering  project  was  under  consider- 
ation; William  H.  Foote,  who  late  in  life  served  the  town  and  the  Federal 
government  so  faithfully  as  postmaster;  Hon.  M.  B.  Whitney  whose  legal 
acumen  enabled  him  to  discern  safe  and  sound  policies;  Henry  Fuller, 
another  prominent  lawyer;  three  younger  barristers, — James  R.  Dunbar, 
whose  removal  to  the  Capitol  was  a  distinct  loss  to  the  town,  Alfred  F. 
Lilley  of  marked  ability,  Willis  S.  Kellogg,  who  for  many  years  has  served 
as  judge  of  the  District  Court.  Harold  P.  Moseley,  soon  after  beginning 
his  practice,  was  notable  in  debate  as  well  as  in  a  presiding  officer's  chair. 
Others  somewhat  less  prominent  might  justly  be  included  in  this  honor- 
able list. 

One  worthy  citizen  who  took  little  part  in  formal  debate,  yet  cherished 
such  loyalty  to  the  town  as  to  oppose  habitually  what  seemed  to  him  a 
tendency  to  extravagance  in  administering  its  finances, — Noah  Strong, 
who  almost  invariably  arose  when  a  motion  was  made  to  approve  an  ap- 
propriation, and  moved  the  substitution  of  a  sum  lower  than  the  one  named. 
His  son,  whom  I  have  just  chatted  with,  has  reminded  me  of  an  amusing 
incident  relating  to  a  reversal  of  Mr.  Strong's  usual  procedure.  Once 
when  the  town  was  considering  an  appropriation  to  be  used  in  providing 
bath-rooms  at  the  Town  Farm,  he  arose  and  said:  "I  move  that  the 
amount  be  raised  to  $10,000  to  be  used  for  that  purpose  and  immediately 
expended,  for  at  the  present  rate  of  extravagance  we  all  shall  be  there  soon 
and  it  will  be  well  to  have  sufficient  bath-rooms  ready  for  us." 

There  was  some  wire-pulling,  but  not  of  a  serious  character.  There  were 
impassioned  debates,  hot  words,  sharp  retorts,  personal  reflections,  but 

207 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

the  bitternesses  were  speedily  mollified.  I  recall  an  instance  of  decidedly 
unparliamentary  and  unchristian  character  when  in  an  excited  encounter, 
either  "  Bill "  Foote  or  I  charged  the  other  with  what  a  shrewd  boy  defined 
as  "an  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God  and  a  very  present  help  in  time  of 
trouble."  I  cannot  now  recall  which  of  us  was  the  accuser  and  which  the 
accused.  The  incident  was  soon  closed  and  did  not  impair  our  protracted 
friendship. 

It  is  a  great  privilege  and  satisfaction  to  be  able  to  visualize  the  town 
meetings  of  that  interesting  period  and  it  will  be,  on  many  grounds,  an 
expensive  loss  to  the  citizens,  when  that  local  forum  becomes  obsolete 
because  a  city  charter  does  not  require  its  perpetuation. 


208 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

TOPOGRAPHICAL  REMINISCENCES 
FRANK  GRANT 

The  building  of  our  sewer  and  drainage  system  in  1889  resulted  in  such 
decided  changes,  not  only  in  sanitary  but  also  in  physical  conditions,  as  to 
warrant  more  than  passing  notice  as  one  of  the  remarkable  developments  of 
the  last  fifty  years. 

Older  residents  will  recall  that  springs  under  the  hill  on  which  Noble 
Hospital  is  situated  formed  a  swampy  section  near  the  head  of  Cortez 
Street.  From  this  source,  with  the  addition  of  a  small  stream  which  came 
from  the  north  side  of  Court  Street,  west  of  Bates,  there  rose  a  brook  which 
flowed  in  an  easterly  direction  through  about  the  middle  of  the  southern 
portion  of  the  town.  Just  west  of  Pleasant  Street  this  brook  received  the 
waters  of  another  stream  from  the  south  which,  by  the  way,  furnished 
facilities  for  a  tannery  near  the  present  site  of  the  Abner  Gibbs  schoolhouse. 
The  main  stream  continued  easterly  across  (under)  Broad  Street  in  the 
vicinity  of  H.  C.  Lane's  present  home,  where  it  received  another  tributary 
which  had  its  source  in  a  spring  near  the  east  line  of  the  new  Post-Office 
and  ran  under  the  First  Church.  From  this  point  the  main  stream  passed 
under  the  old  canal  and,  crossing  Taylor  Avenue,  State  and  Cross  Streets 
(on  the  east  side  of  which  latter  it  furnished  water  for  another  tannery  once 
operated  by  Lemuel  Grant  and  Horace  Avery)  it  continued  on  across 
Noble  Street  and  flowed  into  Little  River  at  a  point  about  opposite  Reuben 
Noble's  residence. 

Another  stream  had  its  rise  in  the  swampy  section  north  of  Pine  Hill 
Cemetery,  near  the  southerly  end  of  Smith  Avenue,  and  ran  eastward 
through  what  is  now  Green  Avenue,  under  the  old  Normal  School  Dormi- 
tory— now  "The  Alquat" — across  Washington  Street  and  back  of  the 
Green  District  schoolhouse.  It  soon  turned  northward,  crossing  School 
Street  near  the  former  Advent  Church,  and  continued  across  Church, 
Arnold  and  Franklin  Streets  and  through  Maple  Street, — the  sidewalk  on 
the  east  side  of  Maple  Street  being  a  plank  covering  for  the  brook.  From 
this  point  it  turned  again  eastward  and,  after  crossing  (under)  Elm  Street, 
received  the  water  from  the  tail-race  of  the  J.  R.  Rand  Whip  Factory,  now 
the  site  of  the  Westfield  Power  Company's  buildings,  and  continued  under 
the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad,  north  of  Birge  Avenue, 
and  across  (under)  Mechanic  Street  on  the  east  side  of  which  it  again  fur- 
nished power  for  a  whip  shop.  Thence  it  took  a  southeasterly  direction 
around  the  Old  Cemetery,  through  the  farm  of  Erastus  (Charles)  Grant 

14  209 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

and  along  what  is  now  White  Street  where  it  was  known  as  "Grant's 
Brook."  Just  north  of  the  present  site  of  the  Fort  Meadow  school  it  fur- 
nished the  "old  swimming  hole"  for  boys  of  that  section  and  generation. 
Thence  it  continued  under  the  (then)  hill  back  of  the  old  Main  Street 
schoolhouse  and  along  the  northerly  side  of  Main  Street  until  it  crossed 
(under)  Meadow  Street  a  few  rods  north  of  the  stone  that  marks  the  site  of 
the  second  meeting-house  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Meadow  Streets. 
Then  following  pretty  nearly  what  must  have  been  the  northern  line  of  the 
palisade  of  Indian  days,  it  flowed  into  Great  River  back  of  the  old  Major 
Taylor  place — now  the  J.  W.  Loomis  homestead — a  bit  of  its  former  bed 
being  still  visible  in  the  rear  of  F.  H.  Avery's  home  on  Main  Street. 

The  Rand  factory  referred  to  above,  received  its  power  from  a  section 
of  the  old  canal  which  was  still  in  existence  at  that  time,  the  Rand  wheel- 
pit  being  its  northern  terminus  while  the  "Feeder  Brook,"  which  used  to 
cross  South  Broad  Street,  marked  its  southern  extremity.  Main  Street 
crossed  it  so  nearly  at  its  surface-line  that  the  bridge  timbers  were  always 
in  the  water.  In  summer  it  afforded  a  fine  swimming-place  for  the  boys 
of  the  rising  generation  and  in  winter  a  splendid  skating-place.  That 
part  of  the  canal  just  south  of  Main  Street  and  east  of  the  foundry,  being 
much  wider  than  the  rest,  was  known  as  "the  basin."  Academy  Street, 
which  used  to  extend  down  to  "the  basin,"  was  formerly  called  Basin 
Street. 

In  especially  cold  winters  the  boys  were  able  to  skate  the  canal's  whole 
length  and  up  the  feeder  brook  to  Brush  Dam  in  Little  River,  back  of  the 
Charles  R.  Fowler  farm,  and  on  up  to  Cowles'  Dam  (Crane's  Mill).  When 
the  canal  was  discontinued  the  railroad  and  presumably  other  abutters 
acquired  title  to  the  old  canal  bed,  which  brings  to  mind  an  amusing  and 
characteristic  reply  made  by  the  late  Deacon  H.  B.  Smith  when  the  writer 
banteringly  asked  him :  "  How  did  your  people  get  title  to  so  much  of  that 
canal  bed?"  This  was  in  his  later  years,  and  although  he  was  nearly 
blind,  his  eyes  twinkled  as  we  used  to  see  them  do  in  prayer  meeting  or  in 
town  meeting,  as  he  said :  "I'll  tell  you.  There's  only  one  other  man  and 
the  Lord  and  myself  that  know.  The  other  man  is  dead  and  I'm  going  to 
be  soon  and  the  Lord  isn't  saying  anything." 

With  the  passing  of  the  old  canal  came  relocation  of  the  roadbed  of  the 
New  Haven  Railroad  and  separation  of  the  grades  at  all  its  street  crossings 
through  the  town.  Subsequently  the  present  viaduct  was  built  to  carry 
the  Boston  and  Albany  Railroad  over  Elm  Street  near  the  station,  and 
later  the  stations  of  the  two  roads  were  consolidated. 

Thus  it  may  be  seen  how  thoroughly  the  sewer  system  has  changed  very 
considerable  portions  of  Westfield  referred  to  above — the  streets  running 

2IO 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


south  from  Court,  south  from  Franklin  and  east  from  Smith  Avenue,  to- 
gether with  the  whole  district  comprising  White,  George  and  Frederick 
Streets  and  covering  the  old  Moseley  Park  tract  which  was  the  circus 
ground  of  a  generation  ago, — much  of  this  latter  having  been  filled  in  with 
foundry  sand  from  the  H.  B.  Smith  Company  in  recent  years.  Indeed  the 
result  has  been  a  very  marked  change  in  the  home-building  and  appearance 
of  Westfield  during  the  last  half  century. 

In  the  appendix  to  Mr.  Bates'  "The  Westfield  Bicentennial"  he  gives 
under  "Pictures  of  Westfield  As  It  Was"  his  early  memories  of  homes  in 
Main,  Broad  and  Court  Streets.  In  the  following  pages  the  attempt  is 
made  to  identify  those  properties  as  occupied  at  present: 

MAIN  STREET 


1869  or  Earlier 
Ives  Block 
Jacob  Morse's  store 

Jacob  Morse's  residence 

(Later  removed  to  Morse  Avenue 
and  known  as  "The  Ghost  House") 

Parks  House 

Piano-leg  Factory  (one  time  used 
for  First  M.  E.  Church) 

Stephen  Douglass  house 

Dr.  Thomas  Ashley     \ 
Thomas  Ashley  J 

The  Ballantine  house  \ 
Mrs.  James  Noble       J 

Squire  Fowler  house 
Hiram  Harrison 

(Formerly  center  of  whip  business 

in  Westfield) 

Captain  Mather 

(Birthplace  of  Samuel  Mather, 
donor  of  Mather  Fund  df  Athe- 
neum) 

Charles  King  (the  Tryon  lot) 


SOUTH   SIDE  1919 

United  States  Post-Office 


Landlord  Fowler  Tavern 


f  Hewes'  Block  (Poirier  &  Mattel) 
I  Home    of    Mrs.    Frances    Abbott 
j      Sackett 
[  Part  of  H.  B.  Smith  Co.     (#39) 

Residence  of  Chester  H .  Abbe     (#8 1 ) 


The  Misses  Doherty     (#93) 
(Corner  of  Taylor  Avenue) 

Matthew  W.  Shine     (#103) 
(Corner  State  Street) 

Frank  M.  Noble     (#iu) 

Henry  B.  Prout     (#125) 
(Corner  Cross  Street) 


Mrs.  Sarah  S.  Shepard     (#145) 


Mrs.  Mary  D.  Woolworth     (#151) 
and  the  Woolworth  houses 

Nelson  B.  Richardson     (#171) 


211 


WESTFIELD.       MASSACHUSETTS 


Gad  Palmer  Tavern 

Samuel  Arnold   1 
Elijah  Arnold     J 


NORTH   SIDE 

The  Morrissey  Building 

Fish  market  and  Chinese  laundry 


"Old   Hampden   House"    (Building 

removed     and     now     standing     on      Second  Congregational  Church 

Thomas  Street) 


Major  Douglass       1 
Charles  C.  Fowler  J 

Enoch  Clark  1 

Deacon  Chadwick   J 

Lyman  Lewis 

Erastus  (Charles)  Grant 

Main  Street  Schoolhouse 

George  Morgan 
Joel  Hathaway 

George  H.  Moseley 
Hezekiah  Taylor 

Jedediah  Taylor 

(Site  of  first  meeting-house) 


Mrs.  Thomas  A.  Lewis     (#60) 

Bailey's  Garage     (#90) 

House  burned  about  forty  years  ago. 
Walter  R.  and  James  A.  White     (£82) 

Walter    R.    White's    tobacco-sorting 
house. 

House    still    standing    just    east    of 
schoolhouse. 

Fred  F.  Moseley  (#138) 
Ed  ward  H.Taylor  (#150) 
J.  Wells  Loomis  (#180) 


1869  or  Earlier 

John  Phelps 
Archippus  Morgan 


Jonathan  Taylor 
Caleb  Alden 
Mrs.  Abbe 
Mrs.  Albert  Rand 

John  H.  Stowe 


Pliny  Moseley 

(Father  of  Sybil  Moseley, — 

Mrs.  Hiram  Bingham) 
James  Bush 


BROAD  STREET 
WEST  SIDE 


1919 
John  T.  Way     (#29) 

William  B.  Reed     (#33) 
William  H.  Noble 


Mrs.  J.  B.  Hill     (#59) 
(Corner  Bush  Street) 


212 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 


C.  K.  Bingham 

Lucius  F.  Thayer 

(House  just  completed  at  time  of 
Bicentennial  Celebration) 


Herbert  W.  Kittredge 
Lucius  F.  Thayer 


EAST  SIDE 


Ives  Property 

(Next  south  of  High  School) 


Edwin  Moseley     ) 
E.  G.  Talmadge  J 

Jessup  Place 

Green  District  Schoolhouse 

Dennis  Hedges 

Moseley  Noble 

(Residence  and  Wheelwright  shop) 


Noah  Strong 

(House  now  owned  by  town  and 
used  for  Hostess  House  and  Loan 
Exhibit  at  Quartermillennial  Cele- 
bration) 

Arthur  Green 

Henry  W.  Ely     (#56) 

Jere  Horton 
E.  T.  Fowler 

Joseph  B.  Ely 

Harry  C.  Lane      (#76) 


i86p  or  Earlier 
Hon.  James  Fowler 

The  Ingersol-Boise  Place 


Caleb  Weller 

(House  removed  to  Bates  Street) 

Jared  Weller 

Ezra  Sackett  House 
(Original  house  burned) 

Stephen  Sackett 

Frank  Atwater 

(Known  as  "The  Washington 
Tavern"  On  the  Dry  Bridge 
Road) 


COURT  STREET 
NORTH   SIDE 


1919 

The  Atheneum 

The  E.  B.  Gillett  Place     (#31) 

Site  of  F.  W.  Thompson's  house 

(#43) 

The  Parks  Place     (#69) 


Near  schoolhouse  site 
Sackett  Four  Corners 


Mathew  Petoniak 


213 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 


SOUTH   SIDE 


Abel  Whitney 

Dr.  William  Atwater 

Dr.  James  Holland 

(Holland  house,  built  by  Richard 
Falley,  removed  to  and  now 
standing  on  Holland  Avenue) 

Israel  Moseley 

Hon.  William  G.  Bates 


Elijah  Bates 

(House  now  standing  on  Holland 
Avenue) 

Dr.  William  Holland  \ 

Dr.  James  Holland  J 

William  P.  Hodgett  \ 

C.  I.  Snow  J 

Stephen  Ashley  1 

Henry  Hooker  J 

Seth  Cowles 
Royal  Weller  Place 
Horace  Holcomb 


"Landlord  Holcomb  House" 
H.  B.  Smith 


Site  of  the  Methodist  Church 

James  C.  Greenough 
Mrs.  Ira  Miller     (#36) 

Henry  M.  VanDeusen     (#42) 
Harry  M.  Gowdy     (#48) 

Samuel  Squires     (#50) 

George  W.  Winslow     (#52) 
Eugene  Doherty     (#56) 
C.  A.  Moore     (#70) 

Arthur  B.  Pendleton     (#100) 


Perhaps  it  is  worth  while  irr  this  connection  to  note  briefly  the  more 
conspicuous  changes  on  the  other  prominent  street  leading  from  the 
Green  during  the  last  half  century,  viz. — Elm  Street.  On  the  east  side 
going  north  there  has  been  little  change  except  general  improvement  in 
appearance  until  coming  to  the  Winthrop  Hotel,  which,  with  the  buildings 
between  it  and  the  Lambson  Block,  submerge  the  flower  garden  and  the 
residences  of  the  late  Samuel  Dow  and  of  Dr.  Woodvine,  the  latter  having 
been,  I  think,  Westfield's  earliest  homeopathic  physician.  Mr.  Dow  con- 
ducted what  was  perhaps  the  first  commercial  greenhouse  in  town.  The 
Lambson  Block  at  the  corner  of  Thomas  Street  stands  in  what  was  George 
Dow's  front  dooryard. 

On  the  north  corner  of  Thomas  Street  was  the  residence  of  Asa  P.  Rand, 
and  next  the  residence  first  of  Dr.  J.  H.  Waterman  and  later  of  Dr.  M.  L. 
Robinson,  both  sites  now  covered  by  the  imposing  Columbus  Block,  and 

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TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building.  The  Baptist  Church  and  Allen  Memorial 
Building  occupy  the  site  of  the  old  Captain  Charles  Douglas  house.  The 
John  Bancroft  house,  next  north  (removed  to  and  now  standing  on  Chapel 
Street),  made  way  for  the  Central  House  on  the  corner  of  Chapel  Street. 
On  the  north  corner  the  Universalist  church  has  been  remodeled  and  is 
now  the  Masonic  Temple.  Just  beyond  the  next  two  residences  stood 
the  old  Noble-Ashley  house  (a  cut  of  it  is  in  Mr.  Greenough's  contribu- 
tion to  "Copeland's  History  of  Hampden  County"),  said  to  have  been  the 
first  house  erected  on  Elm  Street.  I  think  it  was  on  the  site  of  that  house 
that  the  Hoop  Skirt-"  Crinoline  "-Factory  of  Rand,  Lewis  &  Rand  stood, 
finally  burned  and  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  buildings  of  the  Westfield 
Power  Company.  The  latter  also  covers  the  site  of  the  old  J.  R.  Rand 
Whip  Shop,  whose  bell  always  rang  as  well  as  the  various  church  bells 
whenever  there  was  a  fire,  before  the  advent  of  power  fire-engines  and  the 
electrical  fire-alarm  signal  system. 

Beyond  the  Rand  Factory  stood  William  Provin's  shop  and  that  of 
Shepard,  Holcomb  &  Cook.  All  these  buildings  suffered  in  the  flood  of 
1869.  The  last  before  coming  to  the  railroad  was  the  old-time  black- 
smith shop  of  William  Phelps,  practically  the  site  of  the  Swift  Company's 
building  of  today.  Beyond  the  railroad  and  Bartlett  Street,  the  brick 
block  and  the  Nickel  Theatre  hold  the  site  of  the  old  Cornelius  Bartlett 
house;  the  Tivoli  on  that  of  William  A.  Johnson.  Farther  north  and 
beyond  the  Standard-Atwater-Bay  State  and  now  again  the  Standard 
Whip  Shop,  the  major  change  has  been  the  remodeling  of  the  Lay  Whip 
Shop  into  a  church  and  still  later  the  building  just  beyond  it  of  the  more 
pretentious  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity  and  parochial  residence.  Beyond 
Meadow  Street  the  extensive  development  of  the  power  plant  of  E.  A.  & 
S.  A.  Allen  has  displaced  the  church  organ  factory  of  Steer  &  Turner  and 
the  old-time  town  dump  at  the  south  end  of  the  old  covered  bridge. 

On  the  west  side  of  Elm  Street,  corner  of  Court  Street,  the  fine  old  resi- 
dence of  the  late  Hon.  James  Fowler  has  become  the  home  of  the  West- 
field  Atheneum  (Free  Public  Library).  Next,  the  Holland  Block  holds  its 
own,  but  the  old  Woronoco  Hotel  (Wilmarth  House)  has  lost  its  veranda, 
acquired  a  modern  front  and  flourishes  under  the  name  of  "The  New 
Park  Square."  The  buildings  next  north  to  School  Street  are  much  the 
same  in  appearance,  but  on  the  north  corner  of  School  Street  (the  Metho- 
dist people  having  built  their  fine  house  of  worship  on  Court  Street)  the 
old  church  minus  its  steeple  and  white  paint  is  now  the  Commercial 
Block,  sheltering  as  one  of  its  tenants  a  Loomis  grocery  store  as  it  did 
fifty  years  ago.  For  thirty-eight  years  it  housed  the  United  States  Post- 
Office.  North  to  Church  Street,  the  First  National  Bank  has  rebuilt  its 

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WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

front  but  no  other  material  change  has  occurred.  The  old  Baptist  Church 
on  the  north  corner  of  Church  Street  would  hardly  be  recognized  with  its 
three-story  brick  front.  This  building  also  held  the  Post-Office  for  some 
eight  years.  A  little  farther  north  the  residence  of  Dr.  Andrews  has  been 
pushed  back  and  forms  the  rear  part  of  the  Woronoco  Hotel  Building. 

This  brings  us  to  the  Parks  Block  covering  the  site  of  the  former  resi- 
dence of  T.  Horton  Loomis  (the  house  now  the  residence  of  C.  F.  Austin 
on  Woronoco  Avenue)  and  of  the  old  Atwater-Blair  place.  In  its  day 
the  latter  house  was  a  fine  old  mansion  with  mammoth  elm  trees  in  front, 
— trees  probably  over  a  hundred  years  old  when  cut  down  to  make  way  for 
the  new  block.  On  the  south  corner  of  Arnold  Street,  now  occupied  by 
the  Gowdy  Block,  stood  the  Chapman-Smith-Gowdy  residence,  where 
General  Samuel  Chapman  Armstrong  of  Hampton  School  fame  spent  part 
of  his  earlier  life.  On  the  north  corner  where  the  Gillett  Block  and  the 
Lakin  Block  stand  was  the  house  of  Dr.  Jehiel  Abbott,  the  building  now 
standing  on  Arnold  Street  as  the  Colonial  Hotel.  The  Parker  and  the 
Lane  &  Loomis  Blocks  cover  the  sites  of  the  homes  of  Rev.  Dr.  Emerson 
Davis  (long  time  pastor  of  the  First  Church)  and  of  the  late  Cutler 
Laflin.  A  little  farther  north  was  the  residence  of  Dr.  William  Bell,  later 
of  J.  B.  Williams  (the  building  now  on  Mechanic  Street  next  north  of  the 
Old  Cemetery  gate).  That  site  and  next,  on  to  Franklin  Street,  are  now 
covered  by  store  properties. 

From  Franklin  Street  to  the  railroad  crossing  are  various  but  not  notable 
changes.  The  old-time  Elm  Street  Schoolhouse  (supplanted  by  the  Davis 
School  on  Bartlett  Street,  now  the  Boys'  Trade  School)  is  still  standing  as 
a  tenement  house  in  the  rear  of  its  former  site.  The  residence  of  William 
Phelps,  just  opposite  his  shop,  is  now  part  of  a  furniture  store.  Between 
the  railroad  and  Orange  Street  the  Van  Deusen  Block  and  that  built  by 
Thayer  &  Waterman  stand  on  the  ground  formerly  covered  by  the  W.  A. 
Johnson  Church  Organ  Factory.  After  the  burning  of  the  latter  their 
new  factory  was  built  near  the  dike  at  the  south  end  of  the  bridge,  now 
occupied  by  the  Emmons  Howard  Church  Organ  Business,  and  the  J.  J. 
Fuller  Wood  Turning  Shop.  North  of  Orange  Street  are  the  Merrick 
Lumber  Company's  Warehouse,  the  Kosciuszko  Hotel,  the  Sanford 
(Donovan  Brothers'  Branch  of  the  United  States  Whip  Company),  and 
the  Massasoit  Whip  Shop  (now  the  Rogers  Silver  Company's  Plant),  all 
built  in  comparatively  recent  years. 

Elm  Street  with  its  successive  regradings  (sidewalks  three  and  four 
deep  in  places),  now  granite  paved  and  traversed  by  the  Franklin  Street, 
Union  Street  and  Holyoke  trolley  lines,  of  the  Springfield  Street  Railway 
is  our  busiest  thoroughfare. 

216 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

REMINISCENCES 
FRANCES  FOWLER 

The  changes  in  Westfield's  physical  aspect  are  most  interestingly  portrayed  in 
the  Reminiscences  of  Miss  Frances  Fowler  who  gives  a  delightfully  vivid  picture 
of  the  town  as  it  appeared  to  the  children  of  fifty  years  ago. 

One  day  one  of  my  brothers  asked :  "  Mama,  do  you  remember  Noah's 
flood?"  My  mother  disclaimed  such  a  feat  of  memory,  but  a  younger 
child  said :  "Well,  I'm  sure  she  can  remember  when  David  killed  Goliath." 

It  seems  not  unlike  that  now,  as  I  recall  the  Westfield  of  the  days  when 
that  question  was  asked. 

It  is  said  that  the  changes  of  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth  century 
were  greater  than  during  the  five  previous  centuries,  and  the  changes  in 
Westfield  alone  make  this  statement  credible. 

The  wider  spaces  stand  out  in  my  memory,  even  allowing  for  the  dis- 
tances of  youth,  for  we  had  a  wealth  of  meadow,  orchard  and  hill  in  which 
to  play.  In  the  triangle  formed  by  Court,  Broad  and  Silver  Streets, 
there  were  only  two  streets  laid  out;  Mill  and  Pleasant  Streets. 

The  brow  of  the  hill  and  the  hillside  between  the  present  Chestnut 
Street  and  Bates  Street  was  a  never-failing  ground  for  adventure,  with  a 
small  brook  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  and  a  little  pond  near  Court  Street. 

The  whole  region  of  the  present  Tekoa  Avenue  was  pasture  and  wood- 
land and  the  Sheldon  lot  and  other  lots  in  the  vicinity  of  Noble  Avenue 
were  available  for  children's  feet.  There  was  nothing  incongruous  in 
picking  huckleberries  below  Chestnut  Street,  near  a  small  hole  in  the 
hillside  which  we  children  named  the  "Cave  of  Adullam";  nor  in  helping 
the  hired  men  in  hay-time  in  the  meadow,  drinking  the  haymakers'  drink 
in  close  proximity  to  the  big  meadow  swing  gate  from  the  extremely  high 
post  of  which  Eli  the  High  Priest,  as  impersonated  by  one  of  us,  fell  off 
when  he  heard  of  the  fate  of  his  wicked  sons;  nor  in  decking  what  we  pre- 
tended were  shrines  of  the  gods  of  Greece  and  Rome,  on  the  slope  below 
the  upper  end  of  King  Street  within  sound  of  the  village  bells. 

The  names  of  the  localities  were  original  and  interesting:  Honey-pot, 
The  Island,  Hundred-acres,  Lover's  Lane,  Ponder's  Hollow  (Pond's  Hol- 
ler), Salmon  Falls,  Poverty  Plain,  Pine,  Aunt  Nab's,  Sand  and  Clay  Hills, 
Squawfield,  Tophet,  The  W.,  The  Jug  Road,  Madagascar,  New  Guinea, 
Jacksland,  Pochassic,  The  Wildcat  Road,  The  Pitcher,  Timber  Swamp, 
and  Frog  Hole. 

The  township  is  so  large  and  of  such  diverse  soils,  that  the  flora  of 

217 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

Westfield  is  unusual.  The  flowers  that  grew  around  us  added,  in  great 
measure,  to  our  recollections.  The  spring  in  the  meadow  where  the  white 
violets  grew  we  named  "The  Fountain  of  Pirene, "  and  the  "gentil  knighte" 
"pricked  o'er  the  plaine"  in  the  same  meadow  near  the  grass-grown  log 
bridge  under  which  our  pet  striped  snakes  disported.  Lancelot,  Rob 
Roy,  The  Forest  Exiles,  Horatius  and  Ivanhoe,  with  Hector  and  Aeneas 
were  appropriately  placed  in  the  apple  orchard  whose  lane  was  the  scene 
of  many  a  gallant  fight. 

I  can  still  see  Absalom  hanging  by  miles  of  hair  from  the  big  buttonball 
tree  near  the  present  Holland  Avenue;  the  fairies  were  most  at  home  in  a 
certain  mass  of  fine  grass  near  Mrs.  Root's  house  (Robert  Chapin  Park- 
er's) and  as  for  Indians,  they  might  be,  and  were  to  our  fancy,  anywhere. 
The  stone  marked  "IX  miles  to  Springfield  Court  House,"  near  Mr. 
Grant's  house  on  Main  Street,  was  revered  like  a  relic  of  the  Roman  Forum ; 
we  learned  Grecian  architecture  from  the  pillars  of  some  of  the  houses, 
and  Gothic  styles  were  made  familiar  to  us  by  the  Stimpson  house  (corner 
Main  and  Cross  Streets)  and  even  more  by  the  adorable  panelled  cupboards 
in  the  bookstore  on  Elm  Street. 

We  knew  nearly  everybody  and  everybody  seemed  to  know  us,  though 
the  "little  boys"  were  once  chagrined  when  a  man  told  them:  "Oh  yes, 
I  know  your  grandfather,  he  owes  me  ten  dollars." 

Never  were  children  more  kindly  treated  when  doing  errands.  Mr. 
Holland's  apothecary  shop  was  as  a  crystal  palace  to  us.  Mr.  Morse 
made  us  welcome  by  song  and  flute  as  we  passed  the  display  of  what 
seemed  crown-jewels,  to  go  up  the  familiar  stairs  to  his  home.  Gillett, 
Snow  and  Thayer's  store  was  approached  by  several  steps  but  that  ascent 
achieved,  we  were  often  allowed  to  go  behind  the  counter  and  make  our 
own  change.  Mr.  Buell  let  us  set  our  own  type  for  the  enigmas  which  we 
so  kindly  contributed  as  we  thought,  and  which  he  so  patiently  printed, 
as  we  now  know.  It  was  a  great  day  when  Mr.  Colton,  who  manufactured 
extracts,  sold  peeled  lemons  and  so  it  was  all  along  the  line,  even  to  the 
candy  emporium  of  Mr.  John  Hull  on  the  corner  of  Elm  and  Church 
Streets.  Once  the  friendly  butcher  told  my  younger  brother:  "You're 
a  fine  boy.  You'll  be  a  man  before  your  mother,"  and  a  thrill  of  sad- 
ness came  to  me  that  such  praise  could  never  be  bestowed  on  me. 

Naturally,  the  livery  stables  were  always  interesting,  and  a  tinge  of  the 
same  jealousy  beset  me  when  we  girls  were  not  asked  to  sit  aloft  and  drive 
in  a  funeral  procession. 

But  we  were  familiar  with  horses  for  the  boys  drove  the  cows  to  pasture 
and  David  saddled  an  extra  horse  in  the  morning  for  the  girls  to  learn  to 
ride. 

218 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

There  is  one  marked  difference  between  us  and  the  children  of  the 
present  day.  We  had  no  money.  We  never  needed  any.  When  we 
were  sent  on  errands  we  brought  back  the  change.  Once  in  a  while  we  had 
a  penny  for  a  stick  of  candy.  Generally  speaking,  we  did  work  in  house 
or  yard  with  no  thought  of  emolument,  but  sometimes  we  were  paid  small 
sums  for  weeding  or  for  picking  sage  leaves,  and  we  learned  finance  by 
buying  Christmas  presents,  with  a  total  of  fifty  cents  with  which  to  pur- 
chase gifts  for  everybody  for  whom  we  had  not  made  something. 

Christmas  was  far  simpler,  but  no  tree  can  produce  the  thrill  of  creeping 
downstairs  early,  in  that  dark  December  morning,  and  feeling  the  big 
things,  and  scampering  back  to  a  warm  bed  with  one's  own  stocking. 

A  bride  of  1848  said  to  Mr.  E.  B.  Gillett  on  Court  Street:  "How  much 
improved  this  street  would  be  by  a  row  of  trees  in  the  middle!"  He 
replied:  "Look  again,"  as  he  and  Mr.  Samuel  Fowler  had  set  them  out 
that  year. 

My  father  used  to  tell  of  walking  barefoot  on  the  fences,  as  a  boy. 
There  were  fences  for  every  house  lot,  sometimes  as  at  our  grandfather's 
,(the  present  Atheneum),  there  were  hedges  of  arbor  vitae.  The  front 
yards  had  many  more  trees  and  shrubs  than  is  now  customary,  and 
syringas,  lilacs,  Missouri  currants,  roses  and  locusts  were  common — and 
we  older  ones  amuse  ourselves  and  each  other  now  by  enumerating  the 
growing  things  in  the  yards  we  knew  best.  Judging  by  present  standards 
there  was  not  room  for  all  that  grew. 

The  grades  of  the  streets  running  east  and  west  have  been  many  times 
changed,  and  future  archaeologists  will  find  at  least  three  front  walks  in 
many  places. 

In  the  early  eighties  a  young  man  airily  offered  his  company  to  a  young 
woman  with:  "May  I  escort  you  to  your  gate?"  "Thank  you,"  she 
said;  "the  gate  is  in  the  woodshed,"  this  being  the  era  when  fences,  as 
they  wore  out,  were  not  repaired,  but  made  way  gradually,  by  slow  or 
rapid  decay,  for  the  park  effect  now  well  nigh  universal.  There  is  less 
privacy,  yet  the  fences  were  easy  loafing  places,  and  pickets  were  broken 
off  freely  to  make  wider  seats  of  a  summer  evening. 

Some  fences  were  a  constant  joy  and  a  scene  of  walking  competition. 
The  fence  on  Broad  Street  in  front  of  the  Alden  (Reed)  house  was  easy, 
but  in  front  of  the  Morgan  (Way)  house  the  rails  were  set  edges  up,  and 
walking  was  quite  a  toeing-in  stunt.  Lawn-mowers  were  not  much  used 
during  the  days  of  fences,  nor  were  the  streets  much  sprinkled — still, 
there  was  less  passing,  of  course. 

One  of  the  joys  of  travel,  aside  from  the  venturesome  element,  was  to 
have  the  stage  call  for  passengers.  Some  one  asked  once  what  sort  of  a 

219 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

woman  a  certain  child  had  made,  "for, "  said  she,  "the  last  time  I  saw  her 
she  was  hanging  on  behind  the  old  stagecoach."  Then  came  "hacks" 
and  we  drove  all  around  town  to  pick  up  other  travelers,  and  happy  was 
the  youngster  who  was  called  for  first. 

Later  there  was  a  small  omnibus,  but  usually  people  walked,  in  days 
before  the  latest  severe  flood,  through  a  covered  bridge,  over  the  river 
where,  at  the  further  edge,  stood  a  huge  old  elm  tree.* 

I  suppose  vehicular  fashion  has  changed  as  much  as  anything,  and 
merely  to  think  of  the  different  kinds  of  wagons,  carriages,  carts,  sleds,  and 
sleighs  in  which  we  have  sped  over  the  roads  of  Hampden  County  is  to 
set  our  mental  wheels  in  a  whirl.  Sleighrides  are  even  yet  unsurpassed 
in  many  minds.  Speaking  of  vehicles  reminds  me  of  Tom  Thumb's  won- 
derful little  coach,  and  Tom  Thumb  reminds  me  of  the  Music  Hall  stage, 
and  the  magical,  marvelous  glass-blowers.  How  proud  we  were  to  have  a 
baby  in  a  bottle  or  a  ship  in  full  sail ! 

Most  of  the  old  inhabitants  remember  with  grateful  affection  the  pre- 
siding geniuses  of  kitchen  and  barn,  whose  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the 
household  made  them  as  much  a  part  of  the  daily  life  as  the  members  of. 
the  family.  The  "American  Economical  Housekeeper"  fifty-fifth  thou- 
sand in  1845  has  one  receipt  which  begins:  "Take  a  hundred  pounds  of 
ham. "  While  in  my  childhood  the  food  was  not  cooked  in  such  large 
quantities,  the  kitchen  was  a  busy  place  and  nowhere  are  greater  changes 
seen  than  in  the  methods  of  the  domestic  and  culinary  departments.  Even 
when  bought,  poultry  was  usually  plucked  and  dressed  and  vegetables 
cleaned  at  home,  berries  were  sold  at  the  door  from  pails  to  dishes,  milk 
was  poured  out  by  measure  into  wide  pans  (with  milk  tickets  passing  from 
hand  to  pocket  and  pocket  to  pan).  Nearly  everyone  made  sausages  and 
head  cheese  at  home  and  tried  out  the  lard.  Can't  you  smell  the  crisp 
"scraps?"  A  whole  orange  was  rather  self-indulgent,  a  bunch  of  bananas 
sent  from  New  York  a  wonder  to  behold,  and  Guava  jelly  a  rare  arrival — 
eaten  only  to  "taste"  the  strange  flavor. 

The  mere  word  "water"  in  connection  with  the  kitchen  makes  one 
remember  the  stages  from  the  well,  the  pump  in  the  yard,  the  pump  in 
the  kitchen,  the  cold  water  faucet  at  the  kitchen  sink,  the  luxury  of  the 
hot  water  tank  back  of  the  range,  and,  height  of  luxury,  the  faucet  thereto, 
to  the  water  service  of  today.  From  water  to  fire  is  but  a  step,  and 
reminds  us  how  recent  and  how  devoid  of  widespread  excitement  is  the 
present  fire  alarm  system.  For  many  years  the  bell  of  the  First  Church 
clanged  out  the  warning,  and,  if  by  night,  everybody  jumped  out  of  bed, 

*  Then  one  of  if  not  the  finest  known  specimens  of  New  England's  famous  elms.  Grand  in 
both  its  size  and  symmetry.  Of  more  than  local  fame  through  Henry  Ward  Beecher's  praise 
of  its  surpassing  beauty. 

22O 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

and  pattered  from  window  to  window,  and  even  up  the  garret  stairs  to  see 
where  the  sky  was  red,  and  guessed  where  the  fire  was,  and  everyone  who 
could,  "went  to  the  fire"  and  was  envied  rather  drowsily  by  those  who 
went  back  to  sleep. 

It  is  hard  to  understand  how  the  young  people  of  today  can  get  along 
without  Bates's  Pond  and  the  Canal.  Bates's  Pond  was  on  Pleasant 
Street,  between  Mr.  Rockwell's  (now  Sackett's)  house  and  Pearl  Street — 
a  safe  fishing  place  for  child  and  fish,  the  safest  of  skating  places  for 
small  children  and  quite  large  enough  for  less  public  practice,  whence  one 
advanced  to  the  canal,  the  "salon"  of  skating-dom,  as  well  as  the  arena. 

When  the  new  Academy  Building  was  dedicated,  my  father  wrote  of 
the  old  Academy, 

"And  Cupid  wrought  with  shaft  and  bow. 

How  few  our  ranks  had  been, 
Had  certain  pupils  never  met 
Those  fateful  walls  between. " 

Near  the  Academy  from  whose  old  belfry  the  bell  cast  by  Paul  Revere 
rang  out  a  call  as  important  as  the  call  he  gave  to  the  sleeping  patriots, 
was  the  old  canal  a  close  second  and  assistant  to  that  "match  factory." 
Here  many  a  school  boy  shyly  put  on  some  girl's  skates,  and  advanced 
thence  to  paying  other  and  fonder  attentions.  Here  budding  chivalry 
slipped  and  slid  into  favor,  and  skill  in  curves  and  edges  showed  off  to 
eyes  that  "rained  the  prize." 

Once  a  man  called  on  my  grandfather  with  a  scheme  whereby  canal 
and  ponds  should  be  so  developed  as  to  make  Southwick  Ponds  "the  Port 
of  the  world."  My  father  and  Henry  L.  Dawes  were  "two  days  and 
nights  breasting  the  stormy  Southwick  seas"  on  their  way  to  Yale  in  1837. 
To  us  Southwick  Ponds  was  a  charming  peaceful  haunt  for  afternoon  and 
evening  with  lilies  resting  on  its  breast  and  Manatick  keeping  guard. 
The  old  flat-bottomed  boats  gave  us  our  earliest  rowing  lessons,  and  the 
homeward  drive  behind  the  fast  little  mares  over  the  dusty  plains  made 
"the  end  of  a  perfect  day." 

The  church  services  have  changed  much  in  fifty  years.  They  are  less 
simple,  a  semblance  of  ritual  has  crept  in,  and  music  is  less  spontaneous. 
The  church  choir  for  many  years  was  a  power  in  the  land.  Everybody 
went  to  church  as  a  matter  of  course — many  children  to  three  services. 
A  hymn-book  still  exists  in  which  there  is  a  list  on  a  flyleaf  of  the  number 
of  times  each  letter  occurs  on  the  tablet  to  the  Reverend  Edward  Taylor, 
and  the  thrill  is  unforgotten  when  the  question  was  whispered  along  the 
pew:  "If  he  was  eighty-seven  when  he  died,  how  old  was  he  when  he 

221 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

was  ordained?"  Probably  every  child  has  wondered  not  how  he  could  be 
ordained  O.  S.  (old  style)  but  how  he  managed  to  die  O.  S. ! 

A  few  mothers  allowed  their  children  to  read  Sunday  School  books 
during  sermon  time,  and  Dr.  Davis  was  considered  ultra-liberal  when  he 
said  he  was  glad  to  see  a  pew  full  of  quiet  children  whose  mothers  could 
give  him  their  attention.  He  always  wore  a  swallow-tailed  coat.  He 
was  kindly  and  yet  as  I  look  back  I  smile  at  the  halo  of  magic  which  seemed 
to  surround  him.  My  mother  told  me  that  one  night  I  got  into  a  state  of 
terror  after  I  had  gone  to  bed,  for  fear  that  I  should  go  to  hell.  She  came 
up  and  vainly  tried  to  soothe  me,  but  I  wailed  out:  "Oh,  I  wish  Dr. 
Davis  were  my  papa!"  My  mother  went  down  stairs  and  my  father 
came  up  and  talked  to  me.  Of  course  I  don't  remember  what  he  said,  but 
hell  had  no  further  interest  for  me,  save  in  a  spectacular  way.  I  asked 
him  later  what  he  said,  and  he  replied:  "I  don't  know;  probably  my  best 
advice,  given  as  infants'  food,  '  Face  the  music.'" 

Sunday  observance  was  much  more  strict,  and  other  people's  souls 
more  watched  on  Sunday  than  now.  One  Sunday,  word  came  that  the 
cattle  had  got  out  of  the  pasture  on  Montgomery  Mountain,  and  my 
father  went  up  to  see  about  it,  taking  some  of  the  children  with  him.  On 
our  return  the  worshippers  were  passing  our  house  on  the  way  to  afternoon 
church,  and  my  parents  blushed  when  their  youngest  called  out,  holding 
up  a  pail  of  berries:  "Oh,  mamma,  we  got  two  quarts!" 

In  later  years  Sunday  afternoon  was  our  best  time.  We  always  went  to 
walk,  and  whoever  would,  could  come  along,  guest  or  neighbor. 

When  Dr.  Davis  died,  the  Sunday  School  sat  in  the  high  "chapel"  and 
the  big  doors  were  raised.  The  Sunday  School  marched  to  the  cemetery. 
Some  who  were  too  young  were  taken  with  their  parents  in  carriages,  but 
it  was  a  matter  of  pride  to  think  oneself  old  enough  to  trudge  along  the 
dusty  road.  I  remember  seeing  a  baptism  just  below  the  iron  bridge. 
Often,  in  recent  days,  when  passing  that  spot,  I  think  of  the  changes  in 
religious  customs,  as  well  as  of  the  changes  in  the  bed  of  the  river. 

WHEN  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN  DIED 

It  was  an  early  spring,  and  that  April  day  was  fair.  My  cousin  Lucy 
Gillett  and  I  had  accomplished  several  successful  slides  down  the  ice- 
house roof, — gymnastic  feats  in  connection  with  the  cherry  tree  which 
grew  nearby  were  always  part  of  the  sliding, — and  we  were  sitting  in  the 
sawdust  by  the  door,  giggling  and  planning  the  next  prank. 

Our  grandfather  came  up  the  lane,  and  stopped  before  us,  solemnly 
and  sadly.  He  said:  "Little  girls,  how  can  you  laugh  today?  A  great 
and  good  man  has  gone. "  It  made  a  profound  impression,  which  was  no 
doubt  what  he  intended. 

222 


TWO  H UNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

Socially  we  had  a  very  good  time  as  children,  in  our  'teens,  and  later. 
The  supper  parties  and  cousin  parties  and  the  few  dances  were  all  good  of 
their  kind.  Sewing  societies  met  at  private  houses  before  the  Parish 
Houses  were  built,  but  the  Second  Church  Chapel  was  a  seat  of  instruction 
and  entertainment  as  it  was  so  commodious  and  convenient.  There  was 
always  a  party  somewhere  on  Thanksgiving  evening.  One  year  when  we 
were  grown  up  we  had  a  leap-year  party.  Once  there  was  a  masquerade 
party,  of  which  the  costumes  remain  to  this  day.  The  Dandelion  Club 
was  our  supreme  attempt  at  Society  with  a  Big  S,  although  we  had  sporadic 
New  Year's  calls,  and  I  remember  once  when  the  college  boys  came  home 
we  had  twelve  parties  in  a  fortnight. 

We  had  instruction  of  many  kinds.  As  children  we  went  to  a  private 
school  in  Flint's  block,  Miss  Kingsley's  school  in  Mr.  Hull's  basement, 
and  then  to  the  Green  District  schools.  I  believe  them  to  have  been 
poorly  heated  and  ventilated,  but  who  cared  then?  Though  one  year, 
when  we  had  a  parsimonious  committee-man  who  bought  "slabs,"  we 
were  almost  frozen.  The  "magic"  feeling  must  have  been  with  us  when 
my  cousin  and  I  rang  Dr.  Davis'  door  bell  and  with  our  reader,  arithmetic 
and  geography,  asked  him  to  examine  us,  and  see  if  we  could  not  go  from 
the  intermediate  school  to  the  grammar  school.  He  gravely  opened  the 
books  and  asked  us  questions  and  wrote  a  note  to  the  effect  that  we  should 
go  up  higher.  This  we  presented  and  were  rather  troubled  heroines,  for 
it  made  quite  a  disturbance,  as  others  of  the  class  wanted  to  go  also.  I 
can  see  the  tears  of  annoyance  now  on  the  teacher's  face.  It  was  a  casual 
sort  of  school  committee,  perhaps,  but  the  committee-men  when  they 
visited  the  school  were  looked  at  with  such  awe  as  mere  man  has  seldom 
caused. 

GRANDSIRES  AND  GRANDSONS 

One  day  in  the  late  seventies,  my  father  (Samuel  Fowler),  found  in  his 
grandfather's  (Samuel  Fowler)  account  book  the  entry  "Azariah  Mosely, 
potatoes."  At  the  next  town  meeting  he  said  to  the  grandson  of  that 
Azariah,  who  also  bore  the  name  of  Azariah  Mosely, — "You  never  paid 
me  for  those  potatoes."  Mr.  Mosely  was  astonished.  "Paid  you?  I 
never  bought  a  potato  in  my  life!"  My  father  quietly  said:  " I  have  the 
entry  in  a  book  at  my  house. "  When  town  meeting  day  came  again,  Mr. 
Mosely  came  to  my  father  and  said:  "I  went  home  and  told  my  wife 
and  she  agreed  that  we  had  never  bought  any  potatoes  of  you  or  anybody 
else.  I  said  to  her,  'If  it  was  anybody  but  that  Sam  Fowler  I'd  deny  it 
all,'  but,"  he  said,  "you  told  me  once  that  I  should  see  the  water  playing 
higher  than  the  First  Church  steeple.  I  looked  at  you  and  thought,  'Has 
the  man  gone  plumb  crazy?'  but  I've  seen  the  water  playing  higher  than 

223 


WESTFIELD,       M  A    S   S   A    C   H  .  U   SETTS 

the  church  steeple,  and  I'll  pay  for  the  potatoes."  My  father  asked  him 
to  his  library  and  together  they  pored  over  the  old  page,  dated  1773,  and 
the  entries  in  pounds,  shillings  and  pence,  and  Azariah  Mosely  said  to 
Samual  Fowler,  "Our  grandfathers  never  thought  their  grandsons  of  the 
same  names  would  be  reading  this  all  these  years  afterwards." 

To  the  generation  older  than  ours  no  homage  paid  can  be  too  great. 
What  they  accomplished,  what  they  surmounted,  seems  almost  beyond 
belief.  They  kept  so  true  a  balance,  socially,  domestically,  intellectually, 
and  spiritually,  that  every  breath  we  draw  should  be  a  tribute  to  their 
individual  and  composite  character. 

We  have  been  unfortunate  in  that  many  of  our  best  sons  have  gone 
away.  Few  parents  and  fewer  children  now  look  upon  their  places  of 
residence  as  destined  to  be  their  future  home,  but  we  are  fortunate  in  that 
new  ones  have  come  to  stay.  A  lady  of  Buffalo  was  asked  a  few  years  ago 
whether  a  clergyman,  spoken  of  as  a  possible  candidate  for  one  of  our 
pulpits,  would  find  congenial,  intellectual  companionship.  "Intellect?" 
she  exclaimed,  "Poetesses  in  Westfield  are  as  common  as  milkmen  in 
Buffalo.  I  repeat  it,"  she  said;  "I  have  traveled  much  but  I  have  never 
seen  a  group  of  women  to  compare  with  the  women  of  Westfield."  A 
friend  of  mine  said  she  had  made  up  her  mind  that  the  Garden  of  Eden 
must  have  been  in  the  vicinity  of  Westfield,  because  so  many  lives  are 
linked  to  it. 

For  Westfield  the  prayer  of  Agur  seems  to  have  been  answered,  "Give 
me  neither  poverty  or  riches."  Perhaps  this  is  the  reason  why  things  are 
done  simply  and  naturally  in  a  straightforward  way,  which  is  "sui  generis." 
This  peculiar  thing,  this  Westfield  feeling,  goes  with  her  children  and 
survives  even  an  occasional  dissatisfaction  of  which  the  returning  ones 
may  be  conscious.  It  comforts,  it  stimulates,  and  it  sustains.  It  flour- 
ishes in  the  garden  of  our  hearts,  and  flowering  perennially,  it  sweetens 
life. 


224 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

THE  HIGH  SCHOOL   IN   1862 
SAMUEL  J.  FOWLER 

The  High  School  used  to  be  kept  in  the  first  story  of  the  Town  Hall. 
A  very  pleasant  place  for  the  scholars,  because  whenever  there  was  a  town 
meeting  there  was  such  a  row  in  the  second  story  that  school  had  to  be 
dismissed  since  it  was  impossible  to  hear  what  was  said  on  account  of  the 
racket  overhead.  That  was  a  great  school ! 

On  the  first  day  of  the  term  the  teacher  would  ask  the  boys  what  they 
were  going  to  study  and  one  after  another  would  answer:  "Arithmetic, 
grammar  and  geography."  Finally  the  teacher  got  tired  of  hearing  that 
and  said:  "Now  I've  had  enough  of  this  arithmetic,  grammar  and  geog- 
raphy. You  boys  have  come  here  year  after  year  and  studied  arithmetic, 
grammar  and  geography,  and  if  you  haven't  learned  those  things  it  is 
because  you  haven't  brains  enough  to  take  them  in.  Now  we  won't  have 
any  more  arithmetic,  grammar  and  geography  in  this  school.  You  have 
got  to  take  something  else.  Take  astronomy  or  algebra.  At  any  rate 
arithmetic,  grammar  and  geography  cannot  now  be  taken."  And  they 
weren't. 

Lessons  were  not  always  learned  in  that  school.  I  remember  once  all 
the  boys  in  the  class  failed  and  the  teacher  lined  them  up  with  their  faces 
toward  the  blackboard  which  covered  the  wall;  then  he  made  circles 
about  three  inches  higher  than  the  boys'  noses  and  said  to  each:  "Put 
your  nose  in  the  ring."  Which  they  all  proceeded  to  do,  standing  on  their 
tip-toes  to  do  it.  That  position  becomes  very  tiresome  and  painful  after 
a  while,  so  the  boys  reached  one  way  and  another  until  they  struck  an 
eraser,  whereupon  they  would  rub  out  the  circle  the  teacher  had  drawn 
and  make  another  two  inches  lower,  so  that  they  could  stand  on  their 
heels  and  still  keep  their  noses  in  the  ring.  But  when  teacher  observed 
that  their  heels  were  on  the  floor  he  sauntered  around  and  immediately 
raised  the  boys  by  an  application  of  the  heavy  ruler  he  carried  in  his  hand. 

A  boy  misconducted  himself  once,  but  he  had  been  thrashed  so  often 
that  the  teacher  knew  it  would  do  no  good;  so  the  boy  was  sent  out  of 
school  to  get  a  sapling  to  be  punished  with.  He  returned  after  a  half  day's 
absence  with  a  young  pine  tree  about  twenty  feet  long  and  two  inches  in 
dimaeter  at  the  butt,  with  the  bark  nicely  stripped  off,  and  handed  this 
to  the  teacher  who  quietly  told  him  to  take  his  seat. 

I  have  preserved  a  cutting  from  the  Springfield  Republican  giving  the 
score  of  a  baseball  game  played  July  31,  1866: 

is  225 


WESTFIELD 


MASSACHUSETTS 


"We  inadvertently  omitted  to  state  at  the  proper  time  how  badly  the  Eureka 
ball  club  of  this  city  was  beaten  in  their  second  match  for  the  junior  champion- 
ship of  Western  Massachusetts,  this  time  by  the  Woronoco  Club  of  Westfield. 

The  match  was  played  last  Saturday  and  we  append  the  score  now,  that 
the  Woronoco  boys  may  have  the  credit  they  so  justly  earned:" 


EUREKA 

o.  R. 

Gillett,  c 3  4 

Emerson,  p 2  4 

Smith,  s.s 3  3 

Hawkes,  ib 3  2 

Carr,  2b 3  4 

Crane,  3b 2  4 

Wardwell,  l.f 3  2 

Allen,  r.f 4  2 

Houghton,  c.f 4  2 

Total 27  27 

Innings 

Eureka 

Woronoco.  . 


WORONOCO 

o.  R. 

(Fred)  Gillett,  s.s 2  4 

("Cap.")  Snow,  c 3  3 

(Frank)  Fairfield,  l.f 3  5 

("Hen")  Allen,  r.f 5  i 

(Fred)  Smith,  ib 3  4 

(Sam)  Fowler,  p o  7 

(Ed)  Smith,  2b 3  3 

("Ic")  Fowler,  3b 3  4 

(Jim)  Noble,  c.f 5  2 

Total 27  33 

123456789 
i     i     4811     002    o — 27 
11651457     3—33 


Scorers — Eureka,  Ames;  Woronoco,  Catlin 
Umpire — J.  Fowler  of  the  Amateur  B.  B.  C. 


226 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

WESTFIELD    IN   THE   LATE  SEVENTIES 
BERTHA  MANSFIELD  FREEMAN 

The  request  for  "reminiscences  of  Westfield  days"  from  one  who  so 
quietly  slipped  away  into  that  Other  Room,  comes  now  like  an  opportu- 
nity that  cannot  be  allowed  to  pass. 

To  one  who  spent  only  the  years  of  childhood  in  Westfield  the  backward 
glance  makes  Westfield  seem  like  a  wondrous  playground.  There  was 
enough  of  country,  so  that  one  was  never  cramped  for  room  or  stifled  for 
lack  of  air.  There  was  enough  of  city,  so  that  the  circus  and  the  merry-go- 
round,  the  musicale  and  the  party  did  not  pass  us  by  and  leave  us  too  pro- 
vincial. We  seemed  to  have  a  blending  of  social  ingredients  which  served 
to  make  up  a  childhood  full  of  fragrant  memories. 

In  the  spring  we  went  up  the  Blandford  Road  in  Mr.  Hull's  ice  cart,  and 
off  into  the  fields  for  the  sweetest  of  the  Mayflowers,  the  wonderful  trailing 
arbutus.  If  it  happened  to  be  late  enough,  we  would  fill  our  baskets  with 
wild  strawberries  and  the  "Youngsters"  of  the  wintergreen.  Behind  the 
trees  and  the  knolls  and  an  occasional  barn  we  played  hide-and-go-seek, 
counting:  "Eeny,  meeny,  miny  mo,  pesky-lony,  bony  stro,  hull-gull  boo! 
Out  goes  you ! "  or  perhaps  we  varied  it  with :  "Catch  a  nigger  by  the  toe, 
if  he  hollers,  let  him  go." 

When  May  first  came  and  we  had  been  preparing  for  days  with  scissors 
and  colored  tissue  papers,  we  went  forth  hanging  May  baskets,  darting  out 
and  home  again  fast,  for  fear  of  losing  the  fun  of  chasing  the  basket-hanger 
at  our  own  door.  The  thirtieth  came,  and  we  decorated  the  Soldiers' 
Monument  and  walked  behind  those  noble  veterans  of  that  other  war 
before  our  time,  little  thinking  what  awful  war  we  were  to  know. 

When  graduation  time  came  we  went  in  groups  to  the  pastures  and  the 
hillsides,  for  that  flower  of  flowers,  shrub  of  shrubs,  the  mountain  laurel 
and  sometimes,  not  far  away,  we  could  find  the  pink  azalea..  When  a  single 
spray  reaches  us  now  and  then,  we  recall  the  masses  of  it  which  we  used  to 
bring  home.  The  tragedy  of  the  flood  time  is  lost  in  the  wonderful  experi- 
ence that  the  days  brought.  First  the  schoolhouse  basement  was  full  of 
water  and  the  school  yard  a  sea  of  boards,  boxes  and  sheds,  so  that  avenue 
of  fancied  torture  was  closed  and  we  could  revel  in  fishing  with  the  garden 
rake  for  the  vegetables  needed  for  dinner  from  the  top  cellar  stair,  or  better 
yet  go  boating  up  our  own  street,  catching  treasures  as  they  floated  past. 
The  devastation  sat  lightly  on  us,  to  whom  floods  furnished  holidays.  The 
settled  spring  brought  marbles — maybe  we  played  for  keeps — and  kite- 
flying from  many  a  hilltop.  Telephone  wires  did  not  exist  to  catch  our 

227 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

strings  and  spoil  our  tempers.    There  was  croquet  too,  and  archery,  whose 
quiet  skill  has  passed  out  of  our  present  hectic  days. 

Our  simple  children's  parties,  our  church  Strawberry  Festivals,  and  the 
Sunday  School  picnics  at  Southwick  Ponds,  formed  a  great  part  of  our 
social  life  which  was  wholesome  if  not  always  stimulating.  Once  somebody 
came  from  afar  to  train  us,  and  we  held  in  Music  Hall  what  to  us  were 
remarkable  theatricals — where  Bobby  Shaftoe,  in  memory  thrills  us  still, 
who  "came  from  sea  with  silver  buckles  on  his  knee."  Who  can  forget  the 
Firemen's  Muster  when  the  old-time  tub  vied  with  the  modern  engine  in 
throwing  the  mighty  stream?  We  marched  the  streets,  and  knew  almost 
every  one  we  met. 

When  the  fall  days  came,  where  could  be  found  more  glorious  colorings 
than  our  hills  provided?  What  could  compare  with  a  sunset  from  Pine 
Hill  with  all  the  blending  of  autumn  foliage?  And  who  does  not  remember 
the  cider  mill  on  Silver  Street,  where  without  hindrance  we  sucked  the  cider 
through  a  straw,  and  afterwards  were  generously  fed  nearby  with  dough- 
nuts and  butternuts? 

We  recall  the  awesome  Yellow  Day  (September  6,  1881).  The  schools 
were  closed.  President  Garfield  lay  dying,  and  prophets  said  this  was  the 
end  of  the  world,  but  we  still  lived  on. 

Shall  we  ever  forget  those  crisp,  clear  Saturdays  when  we  filled  the  hay- 
rack with  shouting  boys  and  girls  with  bulging  baskets,  and  started  for  the 
chestnut  trees  over  the  Berkshire  Hills.  In  the  glow  of  the  setting  sun  we 
"  piled  "  back  into  the  hayrack  loaded  with  nuts,  tired  and  bur-scratched, 
but  radiantly  happy.  As  we  creaked  down  the  hills  toward  home  snatches 
of  song,  with  "Co-ca-chee-lunk,  chee-lunk,  chee  lay-lee"  and  "Rig-a-jig- 
jig"  announced  our  coming. 

Not  even  Toytown  and  its  modern  sports  could  equal  the  joys  of  West- 
field  in  the  winter.  King  Street,  with  a  child  or  more  in  every  house,  had 
unexcelled  coasting,  with  double-runners  flying  by  in  close  succession; 
some  of  them  gorgeously  upholstered,  and  decked  with  fancy  steering- 
gear.  When  we  feared  the  street  was  getting  too  much  cut  up,  we  used  to 
turn  the  hose  on  at  night  and  find  beautiful  glare  ice  in  the  morning,  and 
no  motor-car  obstructed  our  gay  course. 

The  canal  was  our  skating  pond  and  there  we  watched  the  Chinese  boys 
cut  figure  8s.  They,  with  many  others,  had  been  sent  by  their  government 
to  be  educated  in  this  country  and  were  general  favorites. 

Friday  nights  when  there  were  no  lessons  to  learn  we  gathered  in  some- 
body's big  kitchen,  made  pop-corn  balls,  pulled  molasses  candy  and — 
walked  home  in  the  moonlight. 

The  great  Church  Christmas  Tree  holds  a  bright  place  in  our  memory. 

228 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

It  held  far  too  many  of  our  own  gifts,  but  we  did  like  to  hear  our  names 
called  out. 

The  vivid  nights  of  the  torchlight  processions  stand  out  clearly  in  our 
recollections.  We  decorated  our  windows  in  red,  white,  and  blue  paper 
and  put  candles  in  the  windows,  if  the  marching  was  in  behalf  of  our  par- 
ticular, political  party,  but  if  not,  our  windows  were  ominously  dark. 

Valentine's  Day  was  a  day  of  uncertain  rapture  with  paper-laced  and 
fringed  messages,  as: 

"To  you  my  heart  is  given, 
Oh,  do  give  yours  to  me. 
We'll  lock  them  up  together 
And  throw  away  the  key!" 

The  autograph  album  was  the  giver  and  receiver  of  youthful  emotions. 

"Over  here — way  out  of  sight 
I'll  sign  my  name  just  out  of  spite," 

was  one  of  the  many  heart-stirring  inscriptions. 

You  who  have  lived  in  those  days  will  know  the  times  and  the  seasons 
thereof,  and  will  echo  the  words  of  our  Graduation  Song : 

"Let  us  sing  one  more  song  ere  our  pathways  divide, 
One  last  song  to  the  days  that  are  o'er." 


229 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

MY  TEACHERS 
KATHARINE  GIBBS  ALLEN 

After  my  older  daughter's  visit  to  Westfield  on  the  occasion  of  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  Abner  Gibbs  School,  she  said  to  me:  "But,  Mother,  West- 
field  is  a  city,  and  you  have  always  talked  as  though  you  were  brought  up 
in  the  country!"  And  so,  probably,  I  had,  for  the  Westfield  of  my  child- 
hood was  a  New  England  village  and  fortunately  is  so  still,  in  appearance. 

We  of  the  village  proper  were  a  homogeneous  group, — nearly  all  of 
American  ancestry,  with  little  distinction  of  rich  and  poor,  all  going  to 
public  school  together.  When  I  came  to  be  a  teacher  myself,  I  realized 
that,  perhaps  owing  to  our  having  a  Normal  School  in  the  town,  our  schools 
were  up  to  the  best  educational  standards  and  in  advance  of  those  of  many 
towns  in  the  state.  As  I  name  our  teachers  over,  is  it  not  a  remarkable 
succession  of  fine,  devoted  men  and  women  and  a  type  of  teacher  that  in 
general  seems  to  be  passing?  There  was  no  systematic  religious  training 
in  those  schools,  but  there  was  there  a  most  definite  religious  training  by 
precept;  yes,  but  more  powerfully  still  by  the  example  of  noble  lives,  whose 
influence  has  been  a  light  and  a  guide  to  our  path  ever  since. 

It  is  of  these  schools  and  of  the  teachers  who  made  them  that  I  want  to 
leave  a  record,  imperfect  as  it  will  be,  on  the  pages  of  the  memorial  of  that 
most  worthy  celebration  of  the  25Oth  Anniversary  of  our  "  Mount  Auburn, 
loveliest  village  of  the  plain." 

My  first  day  as  a  pupil  in  the  primary  room  of  the  Silver  Street  School, 
was  also  the  first  day  of  Charles  Thayer,  Fred  Norton,  Esther  Fowler  and 
Margaret  Atwater.  We  all  kept  on  together  and  were  graduated  at  the 
same  time  from  the  High  School.  What  more  lovely  person  could  we  have 
had  to  start  us  on  our  road  than  Miss  Lucy  Foote?  How  well  I  feel  the 
atmosphere  of  joy  and  love  which  surrounded  her;  how  well  I  remember 
our  eagerness  to  take  home  each  night  the  little  piece  of  paper  with  the 
"Good"  written  upon  it.  Once  only  did  I  have  a  "Bad"  to  take  home. 
I  have  entirely  forgotten  why  I  had  it,  but  I  am  sure  that  whatever  reproof 
she  would  give  would  be  given  so  tenderly  that  it  would  leave  no  sting. 
Soon  she  was  married  to  Mr.  Myron  Lloyd  who  had  been  my  father's  boy- 
hood friend  in  Blanford,  and  Mrs.  Marshall  took  her  place. 

Next  in  the  intermediate  room  of  the  Silver  Street  School  was  Miss  Julia 
Noble,  a  fine  type  of  woman,  faithful  and  devoted.  For  years  I  had  the 
picture  she  gave  me  for  excellence  in  some  test  on  the  multiplication  tables, 
and  I  remember  with  gratitude  her  taking  me  home  several  afternoons 

230 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

after  school  to  help  me  make  a  cardboard  and  cross-stitch  motto  for  my 
mother's  birthday. 

Our  next  promotion  to  the  grammar  school,  or  School  of  Observation — 
and  it  was  not  until  some  time  afterward  that  I  knew  what  that  long  word 
meant — brought  us  under  Mr.  Haldeman,  a  very  kindly  man,  and  Miss 
Morse,  an  inspiration  and  example  to  us  of  the  graces  of  life.  I  was  the  type 
of  child  who  appealed  little  to  her,  but  I  wish  we  might  nowadays  have 
more  who  had  her  background,  to  be  with  our  children  in  the  public  schools. 

The  four  years  of  High  School  was  the  longest  period  we  spent  in  any 
one  school,  and  there  the  strongest  impression  naturally  was  made.  Of 
the  many  teachers  of  this  period,  those  who  stand  out  most  prominently 
are  Mr.  Pratt,  fresh  from  his  studies  at  Amherst;  Miss  Holton,  with  an 
enthusiasm  for  mathematics  which  she  communicated  to  me;  Miss  Reed, 
an  untried  saint;  Miss  Fowler  and  Miss  Kneil. 

Miss  Carrie  Norton,  while  not  a  teacher  in  the  school,  was  virtually  one 
during  those  years  and  made  a  deep  impression  upon  us  through  her  untir- 
ing efforts  to  provide  us  with  social  good  times  which  should  be,  at  the  same 
time,  educational.  I  well  remember  such  an  evening  spent  at  her  home 
where  the  subject  was  Venice.  She  gave  us  of  her  best  and  got  our  best 
from  us. 

I  did  not  know  Miss  Fowler  so  well  then  nor  love  and  appreciate  her  so 
much  as  I  have  come  to  since.  But  it  was  quite  a  wonderful  thing  to  have 
a  young  girl — as  she  really  was  at  that  time,  though  we  thought  her  old 
enough — with  her  background,  education,  her  experiences  of  travel  and  of 
social  advantages,  come  in  to  make  part  of  our  school  life.  She  brought 
in  a  breath  from  a  world  of  greater  beauty  and  greater  refinement  than  we 
had  known  before.  The  young  people  of  my  sister's  class  attached  them- 
selves to  her  most  devotedly. 

It  is  to  Miss  Kneil,  aside  from  my  father,  that  I  owe  the  greatest  debt 
that  I  owe  to  any  teacher.  She  was  my  ideal  and  I  have  the  picture  of  her 
still  clearly  in  mind  as  she  walked  down  the  aisle  of  the  church  with  my 
father  at  the  High  School  graduating  exercises,  and  of  how  my  heart  went 
out  to  her  in  love  and  in  recognition  of  all  that  she  was.  I  considered  her 
the  best  informed  person  of  my  acquaintance  and  it  is  partly  through  my 
trying  to  be  like  her,  as  I  thought,  that  I  know  a  little  about  so  many  things 
and  nothing  much  about  any  one  thing.  She  probably  was  a  master  of 
her  subject,  but  it  was  never  her  scholarship  that  impressed  me. 

I  was  rather  a  sad  child, — or  such  I  seem  to  myself  now.  Her  sym- 
pathy sometimes  secretly  and  always  silently  expressed  was  part  of  the 
loving,  brooding  sympathy  of  the  Father  for  all  his  children.  It  was  given 
in  such  a  way  that  I  could  never  have  made  any  recognition  of  it  if  I  had 

231 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

known  how.  I  hope  she  may  have  felt,  in  her  hours  of  trial,  the  love  and 
sympathy  of  those  she  had  helped.  May  she  know  that  I  know  her  many 
kindnesses  and  that  with  many  others  I  bless  her  memory. 

And  over  all  my  school  days  and  through  all  was  my  father.  My 
growing  up  was  marked  by  my  being  allowed  to  go  to  a  more  and  more 
distant  corner  to  meet  him  coming  home  from  school.  The  way  he  held 
the  school  by  the  force  of  his  personality  expressed  in  morning  talks,  in 
personal  appeals,  and  in  his  own  simple,  religious,  unselfish  life,  I  shall 
never  cease  to  think  was  something  very  fine,  very  unusual,  and  very 
wonderful. 


232 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

REMINISCENCES 
ADDISON  L.  GREEN 

Where  are  one's  reminiscences  of  Westfield  to  begin,  and  where  are  they 
to  stop?  One  might  dwell  lovingly  upon  the  days  when  the  town  pump 
stood  at  the  north  end  of  the  Green,  when  the  whole  town  nestled  in  the 
valley  and  only  scattered  farms  dotted  the  surrounding  hills,  when  water- 
melons grew  on  the  plains  toward  Southwick,  and  Mr.  Fowler  made 
butter-scotch  and  sold  it  to  an  enthusiastic  clientele  of  school  children. 
These  were  the  days  when  the  Westfield  River  in  flood  burst  its  dikes  and 
the  lower  town  became  a  muddy  Venice.  Following  the  flood  the  work 
of  reconstructing  the  dike  began  and  the  High  School  boys  turned  out  to 
help,  inspired  alike  by  patriotism  and  a  desire  for  the  splendid  compensa- 
tion of  two  dollars  per  day.  Their  zeal  was  attested  not  alone  by  lamed 
backs  and  blistered  hands,  but  also  by  the  fact  that  the  professional  labor- 
ers, unwilling  to  follow  their  pace,  threatened  to  quit  unless  the  boys  were 
discharged,  and  so  the  boys  went  back  to  school.  At  this  period,  and 
indeed,  for  a  considerable  period  afterward,  the  canal  paralleled  the  tracks 
of  the  "Putty  Railroad" — a  real  canal  filled  with  water  that  froze  early 
in  the  winter  and  furnished  the  first  skating  of  the  season,  not  only  to 
the  boys  and  girls  of  the  High  School,  but  to  all  the  boys  and  girls  of  the 
town.  However,  it  ran  so  close  to  the  school  that  its  pupils  seemed  to 
have  a  special  interest  in  the  canal's  icy  surface.  Has  any  one  yet  deter- 
mined why  this  railroad  was  called  the  "Putty  Railroad?"  Was  the  road 
so  loosely  built  that  it  might  be  likened  to  something  held  together  by 
putty,  or  did  its  builders  potter,  or,  as  we  sometimes  say  in  Yankeeland, 
"putter"  around  during  its  construction? 

In  those  far-away  days  John  H.  Haldeman  was  principal  of  the  Green 
District  School  and  Abner  Gibbs  of  the  High  School.  Mr.  Haldeman  had 
the  faculty  of  personal  intimacy  with  each  of  his  scholars,  and  this  gave 
him  much  more  accurate  knowledge  of  their  several  capacities  and  incli- 
nations than  that  generally  possessed  by  teachers.  He  had  an  unusual 
ability  for  imparting  knowledge,  a  distinct  sense  of  humor,  a  quiet  digni- 
fied manner,  a  real  interest  in  his  pupils'  welfare,  and  a  character  that  left 
its  impress  upon  the  character  of  all  who  were  under  him.  His  interest 
in  his  pupils  did  not  cease  when  they  left  the  Green  District  School  but 
followed  them  through  life. 

In  the  days  when  Mr.  Gibbs  was  principal  of  the  High  School  the  old 
Academy  Building  formed  a  part  of  the  High  School  Building.  Most  of 
us  remember  its  bell  tower,  its  distinctive  New  England  architecture, 

233 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

and  some  of  us  remember  its  walls,  scratched  or  cut  with  the  names  of  men 
long  since  passed  to  their  fathers, — names  that  mean  much  in  Westfield, 
of  Bates  and  Noble,  of  Loomis  and  Fowler,  of  Taylor  and  many  others. 

Mr.  Gibbs,  himself,  was  doubtless  the  most  forceful  personality  that 
the  High  School  has  ever  known.  Tall,  gaunt,  with  eager,  compelling 
eyes,  sanguine  disposition,  enthusiastic  in  his  work,  unremitting  in  his 
effort,  a  dynamo  of  nervous  energy,  he  has  left  his  features  and  character 
indelibly  impressed  upon  the  memory  and  the  character  of  his  pupils. 
His  work  and  influence  were  not  bounded  by  the  walls  of  the  High  School, 
but  extended  throughout  the  town.  This  was  partly  (but  only  partly) 
the  result  of  lectures  that  he  used  to  give  upon  scientific,  semi-scientific 
and  popular  subjects  to  the  townspeople,  in  which  he  frequently  applied 
his  learning  to  every  day  problems  and  discussions.  I  remember  one 
dealing  with  food,  cooking,  and  digestion — its  title  has  escaped  me — in 
which  he  stated  that  the  popular  notion  then  prevailing  that  it  was  dan- 
gerous to  eat  lobster  and  ice  cream  at  the  same  meal  was  nonsense,  a 
statement  that  created  much  comment  in  the  households  of  the  town.  He 
believed  that  a  certain  amount  of  candy  was  good  for  growing  boys  and 
girls,  and  so  stated  to  their  parents.  This  was  very  popular  doctrine 
with  the  younger  generation  and  was  frequently  quoted  by  them  in  the 
family  circle. 

Mr.  Gibbs  possessed  much  sympathy,  practical  sense,  a  capacity  for 
seeing  the  other  fellow's  position,  and  the  kind  of  enthusiasm  that  is 
infectious  and  almost  sure  to  touch  a  responsive  cord  in  the  hearts  of 
others.  To  illustrate,  his  enthusiasm  in  chemistry  was  such  that  it 
inspired  some  of  his  pupils  to  do  a  great  deal  of  extra  work.  Two  of  them, 
at  least,  in  my  class  voluntarily  toiled  at  night  in  the  High  School  labora- 
tory and  performed  practically  all  of  the  experiments  that  could  there  be 
performed  which  were  outlined  in  their  text-book. 

He  had  to  an  unusual  degree  the  faculty  of  inspiring  a  pupil  to  make  his 
best  effort  by  creating  in  his  mind  a  feeling  that  it  would  disappoint  Mr. 
Gibbs  if  he  did  not  do  so.  He  had  a  sense  of  humor,  although  it  was  rather 
dry  and  repressed.  I  remember  coming  up  from  Latin  class  one  day  and 
on  the  way  picking  up  a  tiny  mouse  which,  upon  reaching  my  seat,  I 
dropped  upon  the  floor  without  any  particular  thought  of  consequences. 
In  a  moment  the  school  was  in  an  uproar.  Girls  were  standing  on  the 
seats  and  boys  were  making  a  vociferous  effort  to  capture  the  mouse. 
For  some  time  Mr.  Gibbs  was  sure  that  the  mouse  had  been  released  by 
another  pupil  and  calling  him  by  name,  directed  him  to  stand  up  and 
began  to  tell  him  most  vigorously  what  he  thought  of  the  proceeding.  Of 
course  there  was  nothing  for  me  to  do  but  to  arise  and  explain  that  I  was 

234 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

the  guilty  party.  Mr.  Gibbs  became  silent,  the  school  was  expectant, 
but  after  a  moment  or  two  of  consideration,  instead  of  taking  me  in  hand 
as  I  expected,  he  told  me  he  would  see  me  after  school.  When  we  met 
he  looked  at  me  for  some  time,  saying  nothing,  but  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye,  then  finally  he  said:  "You  did  the  right  thing  to  own  up  so  promptly, 
but  don't  you  think  it  was  rather  a  silly  performance?"  I  admitted  it  was. 
Mr.  Gibbs  said:  "That  is  all,"  and  the  incident  was  closed.  In  my 
judgment  he  accomplished  a  great  deal  more  than  if  he  had  talked  for  a 
long  time. 

Graduates  of  the  High  School,  after  going  to  college,  where  they  were 
brought  into  competition  with  graduates  of  the  best  secondary  schools, 
were  apt  to  find  themselves  surprised  at  the  knowledge  they  possessed 
of  parliamentary  practice,  and  by  their  comparative  ability  to  debate 
and  to  take  part  in  class  meetings  and  things  of  that  kind.  This  was  due 
largely  to  the  High  School  Lyceum  and  to  the  secret  societies  which  were 
then  a  part  of  the  school  life.  The  Lyceum  met  once  a  week  of  an  after- 
noon, was  conducted  according  to  Robert's  Rules  of  Order  or  Cushing's 
Manual,  and  its  exercises  consisted  of  debates,  recitations,  essays,  etc. 
A  critic  was  appointed,  and  at  the  close  of  the  other  exercises  made  such 
criticisms  as  he  or  she  was  capable  of  making  upon  the  work  of  the  after- 
noon. The  secret  societies  were  Greek  letter  societies,  but  their  mysteries 
lay  wholly  in  the  significance  of  their  names,  the  password  and  the  grip. 
They  were  in  reality  literary  societies,  extending  the  work  of  the  Lyceum. 
Whatever  objections  to  such  societies  may  exist  in  other  places,  or  may 
have  existed  at  other  times,  in  the  High  School,  there  was  nothing 
objectionable  to  them  in  my  day,  and  much  that  was  highly  beneficial. 
It  used  to  be  a  favorite  "stunt"  for  the  presiding  genius  of  the  society 
to  call  a  man  on  the  floor,  and  then  hand  him  a  subject  upon  which  it  was 
his  duty  to  speak  for  three  minutes,  or  five,  or  ten,  perhaps,  as  the  subject 
seemed  to  demand.  The  facility  acquired  by  some  of  the  boys  in  this 
impromptu  work  was  surprising.  Among  other  things  there  were  formal 
debates,  and  the  question  of  woman's  suffrage,  the  eight-hour  day,  and 
the  respective  merits  of  the  pen  and  sword,  were  frequently  decided.  All 
business  matters  were  seriously  considered,  so  that  the  question  of  hold- 
ing a  "peanut  Bum,"  and  appropriations  from  the  treasury  therefor,  was 
settled  by  the  closest  application  of  parliamentary  rules. 

Speaking  of  the  Lyceum  naturally  recalls  the  Atheneum.  It  is  difficult 
for  those  of  the  elder  generation  to  think  of  the  Westfield  Atheneum  still 
existing  without  Phineas  Buell  to  manage  it.  What  a  democratic  institu- 
tion it  was.  There  was  no  need  to  fuss  there  with  cards  or  with  clerks  to 
find  one's  books.  One  might  go  by  himself  anywhere  and  do  as  every  book 

235 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

lover  does  and  ought  to  do,  pull  down  from  the  shelves  the  books  fancied, 
look  at  them  as  long  as  he  liked,  read  what  he  pleased,  and  then  repeat. 
If  one  laughed  too  loud  at  the  story  of  Tom  Sawyer  and  his  fence,  or 
shuddered  too  deeply  over  the  horrors  of  the  "Watchers  at  the  Threshold," 
there  was  no  jarring  voice  to  mar  the  delight  either  of  his  joy  or  of  his 
fear,  but  a  sympathetic  librarian  helped  him  out  of  his  embarrassment  by 
a  kindly  pressure  upon  the  arm,  and  a  sympathetic  interest  in  his  reading. 
Many  were  the  wise  suggestions  that  he  gave  to  our  younger  generation 
as  to  authors  and  books,  suggestions  that  were  really  introductions;  and 
who  can  forget  the  man  who  has  introduced  him  to  Thackeray,  to  Dickens, 
and  to  Scott?  Mr.  Buell  was  much  interested  in  phrenology,  and  I  remem- 
ber once  introducing  him  to  my  grandfather.  He  immediately  viewed 
our  heads,  remarked  upon  the  similarity  of  their  conformation,  and  stated 
that  any  one  familiar  with  phrenology  could  tell  our  relationship.  We 
went  away,  never  explaining  that  it  was  a  case  of  step-grandfather. 

Among  the  names  scratched  upon  the  walls  of  the  old  Academy  Building 
was  that  of  Gillett.  There  are  some  men  who  fire  the  imagination  of  the 
young,  and  one  of  them  was  E.  B.  Gillett.  I  was  quite  young  when  I  heard 
him  speak  in  public,  but  I  have  yet  a  clear  recollection  of  a  striking  coun- 
tenance, acquiline  features,  powerful  but  pleasing  voice,  and  impressive 
manners.  Probably  it  was  contrast  that  fixed  this  recollection  so  firmly 
in  my  mind,  because  the  town  was  later  visited  by  Benjamin  F.  Butler, 
who  was  then  a  candidate  for  the  governorship  of  Massachusetts.  Per- 
haps one  expects  too  much  of  an  ex-general  and  a  gubernatorial  candidate, 
but  how  far  short  of  Mr.  Gillett  did  he  seem  to  me  in  dignity,  appearance, 
language  and  thought! 

Is  elocution  still  taught  in  the  High  School?  If  so,  who  succeeds  Miss 
McKenzie?  Do  the  pupils  still  practice  enunciation  as  she  taught  it  in 
"Oh  Thou  that  rollest  above,  round  as  the  shield  of  my  father!"  Is 
voice  tremor  still  taught  in  "Pity  the  sorrows  of  a  poor  old  man  whose 
trembling  limbs  have  borne  him  to  your  door?  "  The  elocutionary  work  of 
the  school  used  to  be  (very  likely  it  is  now,  but  I  am  speaking  of  the  past) 
of  a  high  order.  Mr.  Pratt,  who  was  instructor  in  Latin  and  Greek,  helped 
in  this  work  and  did  much  to  give  a  decidedly  elocutionary  slant  to  the 
ambition  of  boys  and  girls  alike,  a  slant  that  persisted  for  many  years — 
indeed,  it  may  persist  now.  Mr.  Pratt  was  a  quiet,  effective  teacher,  a 
gentleman,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  and  a  dry  wit  that  helped  largely  to 
encourage  his  pupils  in  times  of  stress,  and  to  console  them  in  times  of 
adversity.  He  was  a  very  real  influence  in  the  school. 

No  mention  of  the  High  School  is  complete  that  omits  the  name  of  Sarah 
Kneil.  Her  work  and  her  influence  were  alike  of  the  highest  order.  As 

236 


TWO   HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

pupil  and  teacher  for  four  years,  and  later  as  fellow  teachers  in  the  same 
school,  her  work  and  her  personality  impressed  me  vividly.  I  remember 
how  amused  she  was  one  St.  Patrick's  Day,  when  the  principal  of  the  school 
basely  deserted  the  other  teachers  and  stayed  away.  The  traditions  of  the 
school  demanded  that  there  be  a  lively  demonstration  on  that  day.  As 
the  sole  male  teacher,  I  was  in  charge.  The  school  assembled  verdant  in 
green  sashes,  neckties  and  blouses,  and,  if  I  had  not  heard  their  footsteps 
coming  up  the  stairs  during  devotions,  "Ned"  Miller  and  "Charlie" 
Little  would  have  appeared  in  green  coats  and  trousers.  They  were 
waylaid,  however,  upon  the  stairs  and  never  permitted  to  reveal  their 
glory  to  an  expectant  school.  Returning  to  the  schoolroom,  we  finished 
devotions  and  then  it  was  firmly  insisted  that  all  articles  of  green  be  re- 
moved, and  their  resumption  that  day  was  forbidden  under  threat  of  direct 
penalties.  Upon  opening  school  in  the  afternoon  we  found  that  while 
these  orders  had  been  literally  obeyed,  everyone  was  then  resplendent  in 
orange. 

Many  are  the  changes  during  a  period  of  fifty  years.  Little,  if  any, 
arbutus  is  now  to  be  found  in  Lloyd's  Woods,  yet  once  it  was  the  custom 
on  "  May  Day"  for  the  pupils  of  the  lower  grades  to  go  out  in  a  body  to 
hunt  for  Mayflowers,  and  they  usually  went  to  "Lloyd's  Woods,"  where 
an  abundance  of  arbutus  was  sure  to  be  found.  Later  in  the  season  pink 
lady's  slippers  could  be  found  in  the  same  woods.  How  much  farther 
from  the  Town  Hall  have  arbutus  and  lady's  slippers  since  retreated? 
Can  one  still  gather  wild  grapes — say  a  bushel  of  them — just  across  the 
river  from  Crane's  Mill?  And  then  the  trout — there's  the  real  test!  It 
is  hard  to  realize  that  once  upon  a  time  the  brooks  close  at  home,  such  as 
Powder  Mill,  Tannery,  Sandy  Mill,  even  Hundred  Acres  Brook,  yielded 
trout,  and,  on  good  days,  a  good  basket  to  a  patient  fisherman.  Hundred 
Acres  Brook,  you  know,  is  just  the  other  side  of  Little  River  and  is  very 
close  to  the  center  of  the  town.  One  misty  day  in  May,  when  there  was 
one  session  in  the  High  School,  there  was  taken  from  that  brook  in  the 
afternoon,  following  the  close  of  school,  a  creel  nearly  full  of  trout — good 
sized  fish,  light  colored,  almost  silvery,  with  subdued  spots — such  trout 
as  from  time  immemorial  have  run  up  from  the  sandy  bottom  of  Little 
River  into  its  tributary  streams. 

No  more  lovable  character  ever  lived  in  Westfield  than  Henry  Fuller, 
lovable  for  his  honesty,  the  genuine  kindliness  of  his  disposition,  and  for 
his  absent-mindedness.  While  teaching  in  the  High  School  I  was  study- 
ing in  his  law  office  during  vacations,  and  came  to  know  him  intimately. 
"Squire"  Fuller  always  wore  a  silk  hat  and  dark  coat  after  the  old  school 
of  lawyers,  carried  a  cane,  and  invariably  entered  his  office  on  mornings 

237 


WESTFIELD,       MASSACHUSETTS 

smoking  a  cigar.  He  was  practically  certain  to  lay  down  his  hat,  his  cane, 
and  his  cigar  upon  his  desk,  and  then  his  cane  was  practically  certain  to 
fall  upon  the  floor,  and  the  cigar  when  resumed,  had  about  an  even  chance 
of  having  its  lighted  end  placed  in  Mr.  Fuller's  mouth,  evoking  his  favorite 
exclamation:  "By  Godfrey!  By  Godfrey!"  He  had  a  very  high  sense 
of  duty  to  his  clients,  and  was  very  loyal  to  their  interests. 

Do  the  young  people  of  the  present  generation  have  as  much  genuine 
fun  as  did  those  of  these  older  times?  One  doubts  it.  Probably  the 
things  then  called  fun  would  not  seem  so  now.  How  many  of  the  young 
people  today  would  enjoy  getting  up  at  daybreak  and  driving  out  to  South- 
wick  Ponds  for  pond  lilies,  and  returning  home  in  time  for  school.  Yet 
the  recollection  of  some  such  mornings,  when  the  girls  provided  sand- 
wiches and  cocoa  and  we  drove  in  the  early  sunrise  out  across  the  plains 
to  Southwick,  comes  back  to  me  again  and  again  when  I  am  on  the  trout 
streams  at  early  dawn  in  the  Northern  woods.  The  enjoyment  of  those 
days  was  not  of  the  automobile,  moving-picture  shows,  or  dances  in  hotel 
lobbies.  There  were  dances  enough,  to  be  sure,  sleighrides  and  bus-rides 
to  Blandford,  to  Russell,  and  to  Salmon  Falls,  and  dancing  there  to  the 
tune  of  Ben  Chadwick's  concertina  and  under  the  inspiration  of  his  prompt- 
ing; dancing  likewise  in  the  big  hall  out  at  Frank  Atwater's,  the  same 
hall  where  we  all  understood  that  George  Washington  was  once  enter- 
tained. Then  there  were  the  excursions,  sometimes  called  picnics,  along 
the  various  beauty  spots  that  line  the  little  River  as  it  comes  tumbling 
down  the  rocks  from  the  "dry  bridge."  There  was  not  only  some,  but 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  social  life  among  the  young  people  of  the  town 
then,  and  some  of  us  believe  that  it  was  more  vivid  and  enjoyable  than 
it  is  now,  because  its  enjoyment  was  dependent  upon  the  capacity  of  the 
young  people  to  amuse  themselves,  and  led  them  to  develop  their  own 
resources. 

After  all,  the  "Old  Town"  is  always  the  "Old  Town,"  because  there  is 
no  place  like  home.  As  the  years  progress,  the  farther  one  is  removed 
from  its  activities,  the  firmer  do  recollections  of  the  home  town  remain  in 
one's  mind.  Does  anybody  born  of  Westfield  ever  see  a  whip,  whether  in 
a  wagon  or  offered  for  sale  in  a  shop,  that  he  does  not  examine  it  to  make 
sure  that  it  was  made  in  Westfield  and  to  find  out  who  made  it? 


238 


Photo  by  M .  O.  T.  Coleman 

The  Doorway  of  the  Fowler  Tavern 

Built  about  1760 
Now  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum,  New  York  City 


TWO  HUNDRED  AND   FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 

THE  DOORWAY 
FRANCES  FOWLER 

Over  that  threshold,  in  and  out, 

In  haste  and  leisure,  brisk  and  spent, 
With  counsel  stern,  or  eager  shout, 

The  land's  defenders  came  and  went. 
More  than  a  hundred  years  it  stood 

A  landmark  for  the  countryside, 
With  stone-like  figures  carved  in  wood. 
(Perhaps  the  worker  had  in  mind 
Some  English  homestead  left  behind), 
We  held  it  dear  in  heedless  pride. 
We  cared,  but  did  not  care  enough ; 
And  one  day,  ere  we  were  aware, 
Through  fault  of  none,  or  fault  of  all, 
The  Doorway  was  no  longer  there! 

No  blessing  that  the  gods  can  send, 

No  treasure  that  the  earth  can  yield, 
Is  better  than  a  faithful  friend, 

And  nothing  needs  a  stronger  shield. 
A  thoughtless  word,  a  selfish  act, 

Will  bring  the  heart  to  aching-point, 
Too  great  demands,  too  little  tact, 
May  strain  the  tie  to  breaking-point. 
We  care,  but  do  not  care  enough; 

The  flower  is  bruised  that  once  was  fair, 
And,  fault  of  both,  or  fault  of  one, 
The  Friendship  is  no  longer  there! 

Oh,  my  beloved  country!    Speak 

With  every  power  at  thy  command, 
With  beacon-flash  from  peak  to  peak, 

To  every  heart  in  every  land ! 
For  all  our  plans  of  earthly  good 
Truth  is  the  only  sure  control, 
And  universal  brotherhood 

Depends  on  each  and  every  soul. 
We  care,  but  we  must  care  enough, 

And,  humbly  watchful,  greatly  dare 
'Gainst  fault  of  each,  and  fault  of  all 
Lest  Freedom  be  no  longer  there ! 

239 


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